Wolverine Farm

This weekend I attended Tour de Fat in Golden Gate Park. The festival, that tours 11 cities in the west to spread “the good word about the positive societal offerings of the bicycle,” was filled with bike enthusiasts, drunk hipsters and old dudes in spandex. It was a beautiful day and I couldn’t have been happier (although I did (and still do) regret not pulling my weight and dressing in some random biking gear).

For a detailed description and overall mission of the Fat make sure to check out the ten commandments. My favorite is #6. Although New Belgium sponsored the event, they did not profit. Pretty classy move. I don’t love Fat Tire, but I made sure to drink a ton and support the cause.

There were several interesting events/spaces throughout the day and I tried to capture a bunch with my phone. These are the best of the worst:

On stage are Mike the Handsome and Dashing Dave, two members of the vaudevillian melodrama titled “The Handsome Little Devils present Squirm Burpee.” Its hard to see what’s going on in this picture, but they’re juggling a chainsaw, a bowling ball and an egg. Nothing special.

This chick was one of a handful of people who sat with typewriters and created poems for a couple of bucks. I didn’t get one. I spent my money on beer. But cool idea.

You might notice that this guy is missing a front tire. Well, he was just one of many drunkards trying their best to handle custom rides in the bike circle of death. Not really, but this area was sectioned off like a destruction derby and people were ushered in every couple minutes and allowed to take any set of wheels for a test drive. To be completely honest, I would’ve paid more just to watch this one event.

I was so glad I stopped by the Wolverine Farm Publishing stand. It caught my eye at first because they had some really unique custom journals and the guy volunteering had on a killer bow-tie. The product has a bit of a McSweeny’s vibe to it, and the work, focused on literature and art, is thoroughly engaging and creative. The non-profit publishing organization is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. Every year they release a few titles, cumulating with their semi-annual journal, Matter. I was particularly moved by last year’s Matter 11, titled “The Woods,” which is bound brilliantly in a screen-printed cardboard box. I promised the guy that I would buy a copy online and that is exactly what I intend to do after publishing this post. I would highly recommend supporting their work. It’s the only way for small organizations like theirs to survive and stay great.

I took these two pictures on my way home. I wish I had my camera for the last one here. The lighting is really remarkable. So was my first Tour de Fat.