Sniff. Can you smell that? There’s a crisp coldness in the air, and is that a hint of cranberry sauce? That can mean only one thing: It’s almost time for Cranksgiving.

For the 14th year, Seattle Bike Blog is presenting a joyful day of bike adventures and good will to celebrate winter riding and support our local food banks. For the second year, Cascade Bicycle Club’s Pedaling Relief Project has partnered to present the event and help with organizing.

Start gathering at Byrd Barr Place (722 18th Ave in the Central District) at 9 a.m. Saturday, November 18. Ride starts promptly at 10 a.m., and riders must be back by 2 p.m. The afterparty will be from 1–3 p.m. at Central Cinema, located a couple blocks from the start. You can ride solo or form teams with up to four members each.

Cranksgiving is a welcoming alleycat-inspired scavenger hunt challenging you and your small team of bike riders to hit up a carefully curated list of grocery stores and food vendors around town to pick up items that three partner food banks have requested. You will also be given a few unexpected tasks to complete along the way. There is no set route, so this will also be a test of your city navigation skills. Your goal is to visit as many locations and check off as many donation items and bonus tasks as you can before the time is up, then join us for an afterparty at Central Cinema.

Our changes last year were well-received, so we are building on that formula to bring what is hopefully the best Cranksgiving ever. Some teams will head north toward U District Food Bank while others head south toward Bike Works, which is hosting our drop-off spot for Rainier Valley Food Bank. Then all riders will head back to the start/finish line at Byrd Barr Place Food Bank in the Central District. Be prepared to ride 12–15 miles in total. If that sounds a bit far for you, we are excited to offer an all-new Mini-Cranksgiving option with 3–5 miles of riding beginning and ending at Byrd Barr Place.

It is free to register at the start line and ride, but expect to spend a minimum of $20 on groceries for donation. It’s amazing every year to see how all those backpacks, panniers, baskets, cargo bikes and bike trailers filled with groceries add up. Last year, donations from 180 riders added up to an astounding 3,308 pounds of food, all hauled by bike. It’s such a positive and community-loving phenomenon to be part of.

What to bring:

• Any bicycle and a way to carry groceries.
• A bike lock.
• A pen.
• Some cash.
• A costume (optional)

We ride rain or shine.