The Midnight Special

When you think of St. Louis, you think of the Arch. Well, maybe you should think of a late-summer bike ride under a full moon instead. Consider this: The first Moonlight Ramble took place in 1964, several months before the completion of the Arch. Or maybe not -- that first ride had one cyclist, the organizer. But the Moonlight Ramble has grown considerably in the past 50 years. Thousands of people now show up to collectively cycle through our moonlit city, and they represent all ages and backgrounds. This year's Moonlight Ramble kicks off from the corner of Eighth and Cerre streets tonight at 12:01 a.m., with your choice of short or long routes (10.5 miles verses 18.5 miles). As always, this is a non-competitive ride: There are no prizes, other than the fun of it all, which is abundant. The pre-race meeting point features a vendor village and live entertainment starting at 9 p.m., and all riders are invited to the official after-party at 1 a.m. Tickets cost $10 to $50; call 314-613-7966 or visit www.moonlightramble.com to register and to read the rules.
Sat., Aug. 17, 2013