The Santa Cycling Parade – An Annual Holiday Season Rampage for Cyclists

Never before has the word rampage felt so heartwarming and wholesome. The holiday season is here, and so are the festivities. But before the Santas come to your homes and super stores on their sleighs being pulled by reindeer, they went out for a biking rampage. On the chilly winter morning of December 2, 2023, thousands of people donned their Santa Claus suits, replaced their sleighs with bicycles, and cruised through the streets of Milwaukee.

If you’re wondering whether this happened just this year, you’re far from the truth.

The Santa Cycle Rampage began about 20 years ago when a bunch of friends went pub crawling. That snowballed into something bigger, and today, it celebrates the holiday season, merrymaking, and cycling advocacy. It is the “World’s Largest, Holiday-themed Costume Bike Ride for Charity.” Jake Newborn, Assistant Director of the Wisconsin Bike Fed, coined the tagline about 2 years ago. In fact, the event even inspired similar parades/rallies in Boston, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Fort Collins. But how exactly does this happen?

Well, Santas register much in advance and pay a small entry fee to be a part of the merrymaking. What’s fascinating is that you don’t just have to be a Santa but can also dress up as elves, reindeer, and even grinches. People deck up their bicycles with candy canes, lights, and tinsels and immerse themselves in the carnivalesque ambiance.

During the day, the merrymaking begins in a jolly good way, and besides biking, the people also spread awareness about the positive benefits of cycling, having safer and accessible roads for doing so, and more. Last year, the Milwaukee and the sister ride in Madison raised $50,000. All this money from entry fees and donations is used to set up biking education programs for all age groups.

But the ripples of these events don’t stop there. It’s almost like a gateway drug to winter biking. People who joined for the first time enjoyed the experience so much that they returned for the Santa Cycle Rampage the following years because of how wholesome and refreshing it is to get to the streets and experience nature in its most unadulterated form.

Here’s what a few people have to say about the annual Santa Cycle Rampage:

“I started the Rampage after seeing Chicago had a similarly-titled event,” wrote a former Biked Fed executive director. He further added, “I thought a Milwaukee version would encourage more people to see how easy it is to ride in the colder months and to reward the few who already did with a fun event.”

Jake Newborn also mentioned, “This is really something that has grown to be a tradition where people now are doing it every year. They’ve got costumes, they’ve got special bikes for it.” One of the cyclists even discussed how much time he and his friend spent to make their sleigh and get it ready for the Rampage. Although he didn’t mention how much time it took, he definitely seemed to have put a lot of effort into his costume and ride.

The bikers also feel proud about how they are advocating something that’s good for Mother Nature. They travel the way it is supposed to be, and it’s their way of propagating the well-being of people and the environment alike. There’s merry on the streets, not just from the bikers but also from observers. A couple who was heading somewhere but got stuck said, “We’re stuck here for a while, but that’s okay. Santa’s promised he’d give us extra gifts for waiting for his parade.” One of the bikers also said, “the event is the only day that when Milwaukee drivers honk, it’s not out of anger, but holiday cheer.”

If something like that is happening in your county or state, perhaps go out into the winter morning, be part of the community, and experience the season of joy and love. Perhaps it can be the break you need from your hectic routine to enjoy the holiday season.