Modesto rides into busy festival weekend with cycling event

Wheels big and small rolled through downtown Modesto on Saturday during the annual Family Cycling Festival & Criterium.

This is the 21st year of Modesto’s celebration of all things biking that included free children’s bike helmets, bounce houses, rock climbing, vendor booths and more. Always a popular attraction were the BMX bike demonstrations with ramped-up riders getting plenty of air as they performed for the crowds.

The annual Modesto Downtown Criterium runs in conjunction with the festival each year with a variety of race categories from beginner and child to professional.

The weather on Saturday was unusually cool for the busy festival weekend in the Modesto and Mother Lode region. Also going on are the Calaveras County Fair and Frog Jump Jubilee as well as the Oakdale Chocolate Festival, both of which continue Sunday.

This story was originally published May 21, 2016 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Modesto rides into busy festival weekend with cycling event."