Special DESR events happening this weekend!

And a chance to win a prize

Spring is right around the corner, and although we cannot rule out additional cold days ahead, we can say we will have daylight back very soon. So, we have a few ways to celebrate, and not all of the ways will involve bike rides or Monday night, so read on if you’re unable to participate in the bike ride portion of the Downtown East Social Ride.

SUNDAY FUNDAY!

Daylight Saving kicks in on Sunday, March 10, so we’re springing forward with a little Sunday Funday! First, we’ll meet in City Park at 10 a.m. for a special yoga session, led by Tina Ufford. This is a great one for beginners or anyone with any physical limitations. You will need to bring your own yoga mat and it will cost $10.

The yoga will be relaxing located under the big oak tree located in the center of the horseshoe driveway by the Baton Rouge Gallery. After yoga ends, we’re going to take a short bike ride from the park to our brunch location, Leola’s Cafe, 1857 Government St.

The reservation is for noon and it’s under Downtown East Social Ride. We should have plenty of room, so feel free to come and bring a friend! You do not need to RSVP, but you will need to pay for your own meal. Also, you do not need to attend yoga or the bike ride to come to brunch.

Riding in Daylight

The following night, Monday, March 11, will be our first ride when it will still be fully light outside at 6 p.m. We typically lose a lot of riders during the dark months because some folks don't like to ride at night. I totally get that! So, to get everyone back to the ride, I’m going to toss in a little incentive.

Our friends over at Spoke & Hub, 5412 Government St, have generously provided a gift certificate as a prize to be awarded to one lucky rider. It’s good for dinner for two and includes an appetizer, entrees, dessert, and a round of drinks!

All you have to do to potentially win is to attend the ride! Before the ride begins, we’re going to put everyone’s name in a bike helmet and then we’re going to pick the winner!

Because I Love Facts

Since all of this revolves around Daylight Saving Time, you should know it used to kick off on the last Sunday in April and wrap up on the last Sunday in October. But in 1986, the U.S. Congress decided to shake things up by moving DST's start to the first Sunday in April, though they left the end date untouched.

Fast forward to 2007, and they switched things around again, this time starting DST on the second Sunday in March and ending it on the first Sunday in November. Over in Western Europe, they keep things a bit simpler, with DST starting on the last Sunday in March and ending on the last Sunday in October.

In 2018, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), introduced the “Sunshine Protection Act.” If passed, this would end the practice of changing our clocks for everyone. He’s introduced this bill every year, but it has yet to pass.

It did get close in 2022. It made it through the Senate, but then its companion bill never made it out of the House committee.

Louisiana passed a bill in 2020 that would make daylight saving permanent as soon as the federal bill was passed. Eighteen other states have passed similar laws.

For now, Daylight Saving stays, so your clock will continue to change, unless you live in Hawaii or Arizona, because they already do not observe daylight saving.

More Celebrations Coming

We have a lot to celebrate this year, so go ahead and mark your calendar for Monday, May 6, and Saturday, May 25. We have two more special events happening on those days and they also involve Spoke & Hub.

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks. Until then, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. We’re also posting ride updates on Threads. You can find links to all of those accounts on the Downtown East Social Ride website.