Hallowheelin takes over Brisbane

Costumes, creepy surprises, a mobile DJ and a pumping disco made Bicycle Queensland’s first Hallowheelin ride with Pedal Party a Halloween to remember!

Brisbane’s riverside bikeways came alive with ghosts, skeletons, monsters and plenty of laughter on Saturday 31 October, as BQ and Pedal Party Magandjin joined forces for the first-ever Hallowheelin ride.

The free, family-friendly event was a sell-out, bringing together kids of all ages, parents and riders keen to celebrate Halloween on two wheels – and have a party by bike. And if the smiles, laughter and impromptu dance moves were anything to go by, it certainly won’t be the last!

The incredible energy and enthusiasm of Pedal Party Magandjin made the evening what it was. The team brought their unique blend of bikes, music and community spirit to the event. Leading the festivities was a custom-built dual tandem spider bike, complete with a mobile DJ pumping out tunes as the colourful procession rolled from South Bank to the Botanic Gardens and back again.

A little spooky, a lot of fun

The fun started at South Bank as riders arrived and checked in. Face painting helped transform young riders (and older riders) into their Halloween alter egos before everyone set off on a riverside adventure.

From South Bank, the costumed crew crossed the Goodwill Bridge with the mobile souns system cranking out the tunes and turning heads. The rolling party made its into the City Botanic Gardens, where a particularly gruesome surprise awaited.

The challenge? Reach into a monster’s mouth, and dig out some treats from its guts!

With plenty of squeals and laughter, the spaghetti monster proved a highlight of the evening.

As the sun waned, the ride continued through Queen’s Wharf before returning to South Bank. Pedal Party kicked it up a notch with their Halloween disco!

With the sun down, portable lights set up and the music pumping, riders were led through dance moves as the celebrations kicked into another gear. The energy was so infectious that even bystanders couldn’t resist joining in.

For one evening, Hallowheelin reminded those out on the town that bikes aren’t just a way to get from A to B. Bikes can be part of just about anything, and on this night bikes were the centre of a rolling celebration, bringing families, friends and complete strangers together to let their hair down, dress up and have a boogie.

For BQ, Hallowheelin was a wonderful reminder of something that can sometimes get lost in conversations about transport, infrastructure and road safety: riding a bike is fun!

BQ CEO Dr Matthew Burke, who swapped his usual attire for a skeleton onesie to become ‘Dr Bones’ for the evening, said the event demonstrated what happens when families have the opportunity to enjoy riding together in a welcoming environment.

“Halloween is now the most dangerous night of the year to be a child on American streets. Not because of monsters; because of motor vehicles and their dangerous speeds. Australia’s suburbs have similar problems emerging. So, we created a great fun and safe alternative to enjoy Halloween and everyone loved it.”

The event was designed to highlight the importance of making streets and public spaces safer and more welcoming for children and families. When riding feels safe, accessible and enjoyable, more people are willing to give it a go. And when the experience is this much fun, they’re far more likely to come back for more.

“Our small neighbourhood streets should be safe enough for families to ride a bike with their children. That’s a no-brainer. But our street speeds are way too high in Australia, and especially in Queensland. Governments around the world are adopting 30km/h or 20miles/h laws for small local streets to make them safe for children, not just for Halloween, but for every night of the year. 

A huge part of Hallowheelin’s success was the creativity, passion and infectious enthusiasm of Pedal Party Magandjin.

From the extraordinary, custom-built mobile DJ bike to the games, music and disco, their commitment to making riding a shared celebration helped turn a simple family ride into something truly memorable.

“We had so much fun on the inaugural Hallowheelin ride and we can’t wait for next year,” said Pedal Party’s Kathryn Good. “Getting people to have fun and take over the streets on their bikes is our favourite activity!”

Bicycle Queensland extends a huge thank you to Pedal Party Magandjin, everyone who helped bring the event to life, and of course all the families and riders who dressed up, decorated their bikes and joined the fun.

Although Hallowheelin was a Halloween celebration, it’s a reminder that by creating a safe environment for families and friends to use bikes to get around only has positive implications.

And besides, who doesn’t love a bike ride that ends with a disco?