North Star Bicycle Festival

The North Star Bicycle Festival, is a ten-day series of cycling events that take place at sites around central Minnesota. The festival has gone by multiple names since its creation in 1999 as Tour de Wings. It was known as the Great River Energy Bicycle Festival for 2000–2008, the Minnesota Bicycle Festival in 2009, and the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival for 2010–2013.. It is currently known as the North Star Bicycle Festival.

The festival takes place in mid-June. In 2016, the Festival took place on June 10–19, beginning with the Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic, June 10–11. The event consisted of velodrome racing at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.

The marquee event of the Festival is the North Star Grand Prix, a professional bicycle stage race. In 2016, races took place in the downtowns of Saint Paul, Cannon Falls, Minneapolis, North Mankato and Stillwater.

The North Star Grand Prix is one of only four stage races on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar

The presenting sponsor is North Memorial Health Care

The North Star Bicycle Festival is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) charity whose missions are bicycle education and to support Special Olympics Minnesota. All proceeds from the Festival are donated to Special Olympics Minnesota.

The North Star Bicycle Festival got its start in 1998, when the Lance Armstrong Foundation approached David LaPorte and asked for help to create a Twin Cities replica of the popular Austin, Texas-based Ride for the Roses. LaPorte launched the Tour de Wings in 1999. The two-day event featured a criterium in Saint Paul, around the grounds of the state Capitol, and a track race at the National Sports Center Velodrome.

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