Residents of Lockport and surrounding communities had the opportunity explore what the City has to offer Sept. 12 at Bike and Dine Lockport.
Main Street Lockport hosted Bike and Dine Lockport from 9:45 a.m.-2 p.m. along the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail. Riders roughly traveled 25-30 miles, and the tour allowed those in attendance to bike and dine at three restaurants along the way, including Public Landing Restaurant, Heritage Pizza and Vegan Restaurant.
Tina Keller, president of Main Street Lockport, said the aim of the event is to help make people more aware of what the city has to offer. Keller said the Bike and Dine serves an important purpose in its ability to create a sense of community among those in attendance, allowing downtown Lockport to draw in new visitors from in and around the area.
On average, the event draws in 20 bikers from the greater Chicago area and its suburbs.
“Locals haven’t always been to the restaurants,” she said, noting that even long-time residents discover new places or attractions they never realized were available.
Among those in attendance for the Bike and Dine was Lockport resident Lynn Sperling, who volunteered serving as a leader for the tour.
Sperling said she and her husband found interest in leading the Bike and Dine event after going on a guided tour of Tunnel Hill and a few others in Chicago.
For a while, she and her husband talked about the idea of leading a tour and when an opportunity arose to serve as leaders for Bike and Dine, the rest was history, she said.
“I’ve never been to a vegan restaurant,” Colleen Grinter, a resident of Lockport said, noting that she enjoyed vegan food, even though she was initially hesitant to try it.
The trip included water stops and snacks allowing the group time to connect with one another and reenergize for the next leg of the tour.
Teri Lind, a resident of Glen Ellyn, was enjoying the dinner and conversation at Public Landing Restaurant after completing her first historic tour of Lockport. She said she is interested in visiting Lockport and biking around the city on her own after going on guided tour.
Her husband Larry Lind, who was also in attendance for the Bike and Dine event, said he enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t mind returning to Lockport, noting that he never realized there was a path connected to the I & M Canal.
Of those in attendance, Larry won a $100 gift card to Public Landing Restaurant at the end of the tour.
Teri jokingly added that her husband doesn’t know it yet but winning a gift card means they both won something that day, and they will certainly make a return trip to Lockport.
Keller said it’s nice seeing how the event offers people a way to see Lockport’s rich history and makes them more aware of the city’s restaurants and shopping establishments.
“We have a lot to offer,” she said.