Florence Utopian Bike Tour, August 5th, 9:00 AM. Register today!
August 5, 2023 @ 9:00 am
Friends of Northampton Trails (FNT) and the David Ruggles Center are partnering again to lead the third Florence Utopian Bike Tour. This year the bike tour will begin at the new Florence history mural on the Florence Paint and Decorating Center. The tour will reference Florence’s rich history related to the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, the Underground Railroad, and radical abolitionists. As has been the case in the previous two years, the ride has space for twenty-five participants to register, and once again the registration fee will be donated to the Ruggles Center. The expectation is that about $500 will be raised.
Tom Goldscheider has planned the bike tour based upon the Ruggles Center’s wonderful walking tours: the African American Heritage Trail, the Women’s History Tour, and the Sojourner Truth Memorial Tour. The Florence Utopian Bike Tour will include about 10 stops, and Tom will talk about the significance of the people, places, and events related to each location. There will be time to ask questions and a chance to share light refreshments at the conclusion of the ride.
The tour will cover roughly 4 miles, and participants should be comfortable riding on the road in a guided group.
Registration information is available on the FNT website www.fntrails.org and at https://www.bikereg.com/utopian-bike-tour2023
There continues to be interest in what the Ruggles Center teaches about American history, especially as it informs how we move forward with regard to systemic inequality and social change. It is also important for us to know about the extraordinary group of women, men, African Americans, and others who were committed to eliminating systemic inequality in the early to mid 1840’s in our own community.
FNT’s mission is to foster better public health and quality of life for Northampton’s residents and visitors by enhancing the trail network and conducting activities that sustain and grow the community of trail users.
For more information contact:
Freeman Stein
Freeman@fntg.net
413-695-5579
Tom Goldscheider
tom.goldscheider@gmail.com
413-259-7697
https://www.bikereg.com/utopian-bike-tour2023