SIDNEY — The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure will be rolling into Sidney once again next weekend.
“Sidney is thrilled to be serving as the start – finish town for GOBA again this year,” Jeff Raible, president of the Sidney-Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, said.
Sidney had been slated to be part of GOBA 2020, having previously hosted GOBA in 2013, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the event had been postponed to 2022. In 2021, GOBA organized a scaled-down version of their event, called the Western Ohio Bicycle Adventure, which started and ended in Sidney and saw a smaller number of participants than in years past. This year, Sidney is expected to see at least 1,000 cyclists ride through the city ad part of the event.
Raible said that the benefits of hosting GOBA in Sidney are twofold: the event affords the opportunity to showcase the city to 800 to 1,000 guests who have likely never visited Sidney before, and the influx of guests for a three-day, two-night stay yields visitor spending outcomes that help boost the local business community.
“While here they get the chance to immerse themselves in our beautiful court square, our many fine restaurants and bars, and the hospitality of our residents. We want the GOBA experience in Sidney to be second to none such that our guests tell others about the wonderful time they had here and consider returning in the future for a follow up visit,” Raible said.
GOBA will kick off Saturday, June 18, and riders will spend their weekend in Sidney, with the opportunity to enjoy the Downtown Sidney Music & Arts Festival, or the Holy Angels Parrish Picnic. Early arrivals who make their way into Sidney on Friday will also have the chance to take in a Sidney Civic Band performance on the courthouse lawn Friday evening.
The tour will then ride into Wapakoneta for Monday, June 20, and Tuesday, June 21, before heading to Troy on Wednesday, June 22, and staying through Friday, June 24. GOBA will then return to Sidney on Saturday, June 25.
Several Shelby County organizations have assisted in making GOBA participant’s time in Sidney more accommodating, including: Shelby County Amateur Radio Emergency Services, providing emergency communications; Sidney Alive, providing entertainment; The Historic Sidney Theatre/Raise the Roof for the Arts, providing entertainment; Sidney First United Methodist Church, providing Sunday Morning Church Services; Sidney Visitors Bureau, providing an information booth; The Salvation Army, providing Monday breakfast; Scissors to Sheep 4H Club, providing Sunday breakfast; Clancy’s Restaurant, providing Sunday dinner; City of Sidney Police Department, providing safety services; City of Sidney Fire and Emergency Services, providing emergency response services; City of Sidney Parks & Recreation, providing bike corral; Shelby County Sheriff, providing safety services; Shelby County Agricultural Society, providing Fairgrounds services; Shelby County Emergency Management Agency, providing emergency response services; Community Foundation of Shelby County, providing an information booth; Sidney-Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, providing an information booth; Wood Glen Warrior Hearts Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team, providing parking; and Sidney Kiwanis Club, providing parking.
“Event planning of the size and scope of GOBA – Sidney are simply not possible without the dedication and commitment of numerous collaborating organizations and volunteers. I certainly would be remiss however, not to publicly thank Bill Clark and the Shelby County Fairgrounds team for all they are doing to accommodate the needs of our GOBA campers. Bill and his ‘can do’ approach to this project have been invaluable,” Raible said.
