If this year’s roster of events is any indication, the organizers of Pemberton’s Slow Food Cycle Sunday might have to consider changing the name of the event in future to Slow Food Cycle Festival or Slow Food Cycle Weekend.

The Pemberton community has rallied around the popular annual farm tour to put together a collection of community, food-oriented events around the 2010 Slow Food Cycle, coming up on Sunday (Aug. 15). A Bavarian-themed after party, pre-ride farm dinner, pancake breakfast, barbecue salmon feast and even a grassroots music festival are all on the roster this weekend in the Spud Valley.

The Slow Food Cycle Sunday folks think it’s “just fabulous” that so many other events that are in line with the ride have come together to help support it, said co-organizer Niki Vankerk.

“We are totally encouraging anyone who has something they want to do to plan it around the weekend,” she said. “We’re totally supportive.”

The main event is the cycle itself — a self-guided bicycle tour of Pemberton-area farms. Each stop on the 25-kilometre route is like a mini farmer’s market with fresh produce and ready-to-eat food for sale, plus local art and live music. Plus, participants have the chance to meet the farmers and learn more about the local food system.

Vankerk confirmed on Monday (Aug. 9) that the cycle is going full steam ahead despite last week’s landslide.

A detail of note for experienced Slow Food Cyclists: sign-in has moved this year to Frontier Street in downtown Pemberton. Just follow the signs, Vankerk said.

To help participants fuel up for the big ride on Sunday, a Slow Food Cycle fundraising dinner is being held Saturday (Aug. 14) at Pemberton Valley Farms. Get a sneak preview of all the fabulously fresh farm products that will be available on the ride, and maybe even some cooking tips from world-class chefs on what to do with the local bounty.

The dinner includes Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef and produce from five local farms, as well as wine pairings for the lucky 80 people who get in on tickets. Pemberton resident James Walt, the award-winning executive chef of Whistler’s Araxi restaurant, and Whistler Cooks owner Grant Cousar are leading the team of culinary artists preparing the meal.

The dinner is almost sold out — contact the Pemberton Chamber of Commerce at (604) 894-6477 or info@pembertonchamber.com to reserve a spot. The bubbly starts flowing at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, the Two Acre Shaker music festival gets underway at 2 p.m. at Old Kirk Becker’s Farm. A roster of DJs and musicians from the Sea to Sky and beyond is set to play until 3 a.m. For all the details, visit twoacreshaker.com.

Sunday is ride day, and despite all the delectable morsels cyclists will encounter along the route, a good breakfast is a must. The Lillooet River Lodge is ready to help with its Pemberton potato pancake breakfast starting at 8 a.m. Made from local potatoes, the pancakes will be made in the traditional German style and served with local eggs, applesauce from local trees or sour cream and local chives. For more info, call (604) 966-8246.

More fuel and a cold beverage or two will certainly be in order after the ride, and there are many local options for a relaxing meal. The Pemberton Valley Vineyard is hosting a salmon barbecue dinner — call (604) 894-5857 for info and reservations.

Cyclists are invited to trade their Lycra bike shorts for lederhosen and head to Pioneer Park in downtown Pemberton for the AugustFest post-ride community party from 3 to 7 p.m. Styled after the Bavarian Oktoberfest, the family-friendly event will feature a beer garden, hot dogs, pretzels, a bouncy castle for kids and more.

“It’s meant for the community but also for the people who are going on the… cycle,” said Renate Williams, board member of the Friends of the Pemberton Library, one of the community organizations co-sponsoring the event. “It’s a family-oriented occasion.”

Proceeds from the event will go toward equipping the community kitchen at the new community centre to professional standards so it can host a wider range of events such as weddings and cooking classes.

“The whole community will benefit,” Williams said.

For more info on Slow Food Cycle Sunday and all the weekend’s events, visit slowfoodcyclesunday.com.