There might not be a more iconic summertime event on Mount Desert Island than the annual Bike Parade & Ice Cream Social at The Neighborhood House. What started as a lark (and excuse to have an ice cream sundae) has turned into a highly anticipated celebration that attracts folks from Northeast Harbor, Mount Desert, and beyond. This year’s 23rd rendition of the event is scheduled for Thursday, August 3rd.

How it Works:

Bike Decorations

At 5:30pm, participants of all ages are invited to stop by The Neighborhood House lawn where they’ll find an abundance of decor— everything from streamers to flags, flowers, stickers and more— to attach to their bikes, trikes, wagons, scooters, carriages, etc. It’s all part of the pageantry, and we take it very seriously!

The “Parade”

Around 6:00pm we’ll gather along Rock End Road (adjacent to The Neighborhood House) to get ready for the parade, complete with a Police escort. The “parade” will slowly head down Neighborhood Road, bang a quick right onto Tracy Road, take a right at the end of Tracy (next to S.R. Tracy Paint Shop), work its way down the last bit of Summit Road, turn right onto Main Street and then cruise straight back to The Neighborhood House while soaking up the cheers of the adoring throngs of fans along the way.

Note: Our “police escort” serves a couple of purposes. First, it just give the parade that “official” feeling. Secondly, because no roads are actually closed for the parade, the flashing lights alert those parked along Main Street to be cautious. We ask that no riders go ahead of the lead police cruiser so that everyone stays safe. Please review this with your child and make sure they know it’s a parade, and not a race. They need to stay behind the police car throughout the parade.

Hot Fudge Sundaes

Immediately following the conclusion of the parade, we’ll celebrate with ice cream sundaes on the lawn, complete with homemade hot fudge and featuring vanilla ice cream generously provided by The Acadia Corporation. EVERYONE is invited to dig into a sundae, whether you took part in the parade or were just there to cheer on the participants and be part of the fun. This is a rain or shine event, so as long as it’s not a complete downpour we’ll still do our best to have the parade and can shift the ice cream sundaes inside to The Neighborhood House if needed.

*Our homemade hot fudge has always been a hit and originated with a recipe in “RSVP,” a cookbook by the Junior League of Portland, and we always kept it a closely guarded secret. Back in 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, we decided the community could use a pick-me-up, so we called our Hollywood friends and produced this hot fudge how-to cooking video in order to share our hot fudge with the world. Bon Appétit!