Zoo-de-Mackinac Riders to Descend on Island This Saturday, May 20

Riders and participants in the 33rd annual Zoo-de-Mackinac are expected to arrive on the Island Saturday, May 20, after the event’s 51-mile bike ride ends in Mackinaw City that afternoon. The Gate House, The Pink Pony, and Horn’s Bar will host parties with live entertainment to celebrate the end of the ride.

Zoo-de-Mackinac isn’t a bike race, but it is more than just a bike ride. The weekend-long event is packed with parties, bands, and a 51-mile-long tour that the event’s website boasts as “one of the most scenic bicycle rides in the country.”

There are about 2,100 riders registered for the ride this year, according to Regina Stocco, one of the co-producers of Zoo-de-Mackinac, and organizers typically get between 150 to 200 more during late registration. About three-quarters of them make it over to the Island, Ms. Stocco said.

What started as some friends riding from Boyne Highlands to Mackinaw City in 1990 has grown into the Zoo-de-Mackinac, Inc. founded by Greg Drawbaugh, one of the original riders. Ms. Stocco rode her first Zoo-de-Mackinac in 1997 and has been on the production side of things for about 15 years.

“It’s become an annual tradition,” she said. “A lot of people you see only once a year, so it’s almost like a big family and friend reunion.”

It’s unique because it’s a one-way ride, Ms. Stocco told the Town Crier, a kickoff to the summer season. She said it’s all about the camaraderie of the event, full of nostalgia and everything that northern Michigan has to offer. The whole ride takes about six to seven hours for the average rider.

The event begins Friday, May 19, at the Zoo Bar at The Highlands at Harbor Springs with music by the Metro Rockway band for a “summertime bash.” Carb loading is encouraged. The ride begins along the Lake Michigan shore between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning, at each rider’s leisure, with a lunch stop at Legs Inn in Cross Village.

If riders aren’t up for the whole 51 miles, there are two 25-mile options – the Zoo-de- Legs (Zoo Bar to Legs Inn) and the Legsde Mack (Legs Inn to Mackinaw City) – the first and second halves of the ride. The ride ends with a party at The Crossings in Mackinaw City, where event attendees may then continue to Mackinac Island for an evening of afterparties.

Those planning to join the party late, including attending events at the three hosting Island bars, will need to register and pick up wristbands Friday night, May 19, or Saturday morning, May 20, in Harbor Springs.

“The locals and the businesses are really supportive,” Ms. Stocco said, mentioning Big Bear Adventures, the company in Indian River that provides shuttle support. “Everyone looks forward to it.”

With riders coming in from around the country, from Denver to Chicago, the event is set to bring lots of business to the Island and to businesses along the route in northern Michigan, helping to kick off the summer season.

“We’re just looking forward to coming back every year and making it bigger and better,” Ms. Stocco said.