The annual Fat & Skinny Tire Festival will be held this year from Friday through Sunday, May 16-18, in Warsaw and Winona Lake. Friday will mark the annual Bike-to-Work Day with the festival kick-off party starting at 5 p.m. in the Village at Winona and Mad Anthony’s Lake City Taphouse.

Friday’s festivities will include opening ceremonies and a special bicycle friendly community award presentation at 6:30 p.m. in the main festival tent, which will be located in the Village at Winona. Also planned is a mass community kick-off ride from the village to downtown Warsaw at 7 p.m. and a BMX stunt show and silly bike contest located in downtown Warsaw at 7:30 p.m. Friday’s festivities will close with the showing of bicycle videos at 8:10 p.m. and live music at 9 p.m.

Fun activities will continue into Saturday, beginning with the Kosciusko Countryside Tour. Registration for the tour will be held at 7 a.m. at the Village At Winona. The event will begin at 8 a.m. and will offer 19, 40 and 63 mile rides throughout the countryside.

At 10 a.m. DINO Series Mountain Bike Races will begin at the Winona Lake Trails with the Pro/Elite riders in categories one and two. At noon May 17, category three riders — comprised of clydesdales, introductory riders and juniors — will take to the trails with kids races following at 1:30 p.m. Awards will be presented to racers at 3 p.m. at the Expo Stage in the Village. Trails will open to the public at 4 p.m. following the awards.

At 11 a.m. the Cerulean Garden will open to guests in the Village with the Fat & Skinny Expo and Demo Bikes opening to the public at 11 a.m. The BMX Stunt Show will also be held at 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the Village as well.

The festival’s “kid events” will begin at 12:30 and continue to 4:30 p.m. in the Village at Winona. Events will include the Safe Kids Bicycle Safety School and Helmet Fit Demonstration, the Wild Ride Bike Art Parade, a family scavenger hunt, a “trek trikester course,” tire toss and inflatables.

Races and tours will continue on Saturday afternoon with the 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Historical Winona Bike Tour, which stretches 3 miles to 4 miles at the Village at Winona. From 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. circuit road races will be held at the Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Warsaw.

Saturday evening activities will begin with bands playing music from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the Village at the Winona Expo Tent and with the 9 p.m. opening of the Winona Lake mountain trails for night riding.

Though the festival will end on Sunday, there will still be fun to be had by attendees. Sunday races will include the Village at Winona Road Criterium races and the Ortho Cup Corporate Challenge Cruiser Race. The Criterium will begin registration at 7 a.m. with races going from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The qualifying round for the Ortho Cup will be held at 1:40 p.m. in the Village with the finals beginning at 3 p.m. Kids will also have the opportunity to race during the kids’ races beginning at 1:20 p.m. in the Village. Race classes will be ages 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12.

All times subject to change, modification or cancellation. Visit the Info Booth for more details. For further information regarding the Fat & Skinny Tirefest visit the event’s website HERE.