(May 4, 2017) Rain postponed the inaugural Blessing of the Wheels Festival on April 22, but organizer Gussie Sholtis is determined to stroll on with a makeup date this Sunday from 1-3 p.m. in Stephen Decatur Park in Berlin.
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams posted his approval for the new day and time – and the event itself – on Facebook last week.
“The postponement and rescheduling of this event is very likely a blessing in of itself. Chances are the weather on May 7 will be as beautiful as the reasons this event has been created,” Williams wrote.
Sholtis, a Berlin resident, has seen all manner of wheeled implements roll by her Sheppard Realty Inc. office on Main Street downtown, from bicycles and skateboards, to strollers and wagons.
Occasionally, she said, she has witnessed the wobbly to-and-fro of an off-road unicyclist.
Sholtis said a light bulb recently went off while listening to a program on NPR about a minister from Colorado who held a “blessing of the bicycles” at his church. That, she said, was the inspiration for event.
“I am notorious for having random parties – I like a party for the sake of a party,” Sholtis, a 22-year resident of Washington Street, said. “And I thought that would be a cool thing for our town.”
She pitched the idea to various people in the community, from town staff to local cycling advocates and event organizers, but initially found no takers.
“It was either let the cool idea die or do it myself,” she said. “I was like, whatever, I throw parties every weekend – I can just take my party to the park!”
Sholtis said what she initially envisioned as a small, self-contained blessing at the Atlantic Hotel grew into a sprawling daytime festival at the park with activities and events geared toward all ages – from small children to seniors.
She met with members of town staff and the police department, and the Town Council in February gave its approval. From there, she started soliciting help from friends and acquaintances and things started to steamroll.
“I’ve had a lot of people volunteer to help. Everybody is just taking over and doing stuff,” Sholtis said.
The nondenominational blessing will start at 1 p.m. include “anything with wheels” that is nonmotorized.
Other activities, spread throughout the day, will include yoga with Chrissy Ehrhart of Zenna Wellness Studio, a guided walking tour of the park led by Patricia Dufendach of the Berlin Parks Commission, tie-dye demonstrations by Bronwyn Betz, a nature scavenger hunt, a drum circle, a chalk graffiti wall and several craft stations for kids, and a “.10 K race” for seniors who use walkers or wheelchairs.
Erin Bilenki will host a bake sale and Sholtis will sell T-shirts and posters to try to recoup some of the costs associated with the event.
“It’s not just specifically, ‘here’s an old people event’ or ‘here’s a young people event,’” Sholtis said. “Everybody can come and do the same cool things. I thought we would just throw everybody together and have a good time.
“I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know what to expect, but if the weather is good and enough locals show up I could see it be a reoccurring thing,” she added.
For more information, search “Blessing of the Wheels Festival” on Facebook.
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams posted his approval for the new day and time – and the event itself – on Facebook last week.
“The postponement and rescheduling of this event is very likely a blessing in of itself. Chances are the weather on May 7 will be as beautiful as the reasons this event has been created,” Williams wrote.
Sholtis, a Berlin resident, has seen all manner of wheeled implements roll by her Sheppard Realty Inc. office on Main Street downtown, from bicycles and skateboards, to strollers and wagons.
Occasionally, she said, she has witnessed the wobbly to-and-fro of an off-road unicyclist.
Sholtis said a light bulb recently went off while listening to a program on NPR about a minister from Colorado who held a “blessing of the bicycles” at his church. That, she said, was the inspiration for event.
“I am notorious for having random parties – I like a party for the sake of a party,” Sholtis, a 22-year resident of Washington Street, said. “And I thought that would be a cool thing for our town.”
She pitched the idea to various people in the community, from town staff to local cycling advocates and event organizers, but initially found no takers.
“It was either let the cool idea die or do it myself,” she said. “I was like, whatever, I throw parties every weekend – I can just take my party to the park!”
Sholtis said what she initially envisioned as a small, self-contained blessing at the Atlantic Hotel grew into a sprawling daytime festival at the park with activities and events geared toward all ages – from small children to seniors.
She met with members of town staff and the police department, and the Town Council in February gave its approval. From there, she started soliciting help from friends and acquaintances and things started to steamroll.
“I’ve had a lot of people volunteer to help. Everybody is just taking over and doing stuff,” Sholtis said.
The nondenominational blessing will start at 1 p.m. include “anything with wheels” that is nonmotorized.
Other activities, spread throughout the day, will include yoga with Chrissy Ehrhart of Zenna Wellness Studio, a guided walking tour of the park led by Patricia Dufendach of the Berlin Parks Commission, tie-dye demonstrations by Bronwyn Betz, a nature scavenger hunt, a drum circle, a chalk graffiti wall and several craft stations for kids, and a “.10 K race” for seniors who use walkers or wheelchairs.
Erin Bilenki will host a bake sale and Sholtis will sell T-shirts and posters to try to recoup some of the costs associated with the event.
“It’s not just specifically, ‘here’s an old people event’ or ‘here’s a young people event,’” Sholtis said. “Everybody can come and do the same cool things. I thought we would just throw everybody together and have a good time.
“I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know what to expect, but if the weather is good and enough locals show up I could see it be a reoccurring thing,” she added.
For more information, search “Blessing of the Wheels Festival” on Facebook.