Spring things

Lawn games, public art and a new bike pub on our radar

New kids on the block

A cycling-themed Belgian bar and coffee shop is scheduled to open in downtown’s Deco District in time for Tulsa Tough. Local cyclists Chad Coccaro and Colt Shipman expect Velopub to draw fellow cyclists as well as people working and living downtown and visitors from nearby hotels. 

Located at 5th and Boston across from the Vandever and Philtower buildings, Velopub will have outdoor seating and a large community bike rack on Boston. They’ll also run a low-key shop out of the office in back, where they’ll sell bikes, build custom orders and do maintenance work.

“A lot of people ride their bikes to work in that area, and … they can just drop it off at my shop and leave it there,” Coccaro said. “We can change a flat or just small maintenance without them having to bring it to a shop on their own time. While they’re at work, it’ll get fixed.”

Velopub will have eight beers on tap and more varieties in bottles, with an emphasis on Belgian beers. The menu will also include cocktails, wine, pastries, pour-overs, espresso and an honors-system DIY to-go coffee. 

In addition to filling a bar/coffee shop void in the Deco District, Coccaro envisions Velopub as a gathering place after Wednesday Night Rides and a watch-party spot during televised races. 

“I love going to the bike shops and just hanging out and talking,” Coccaro said. “If I could go to a bike shop and hang out and have a beer, that’s even better. … If I can go to a place and watch the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia or the Tour of Flanders—there are actually people that watch cycling like they watch football.

Set it up, knock it down 

If playing lawn games is your idea of a fun spring afternoon, you’ll be an instant convert to the cult of Kubb after just one match. Originating in Sweden, Kubb (pronounced COOB) takes place on a rectangular pitch, with teams knocking over wooden blocks with wooden batons. That’s the gist, but believe me, the intricacies stack up quickly. 

I was first introduced to Kubb by local craftsman and banjo slinger Eric Fransen. Fransen makes beautiful Kubb sets, but your standard kit is available for $40-50 online. The rules seem a tad convoluted at first, but once you catch on, they’re a snap. Consult YouTube to get acquainted, then head out back and get to tossing.

The happiest hour

You probably know that Guthrie Green (partnering with Lululemon) hosts a free yoga class Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. from April through October. What you might not know is that immediately following yoga, Lucky’s on the Green hosts a weekly 6:30 p.m. Bocce tournament at the Green’s nifty Bocce court, located just outside the restaurant.

It couldn’t be simpler to learn and immediately be pretty darn good at Bocce. One team throws a small ball (called a Jack) to a predetermined area, and the rest of the game is basically each team “bowling” larger balls and trying to land them nearest the Jack. It gets slightly more complicated, but the principle is pretty easy to grasp: get yours closer than theirs.

Check out the equipment at Lucky’s any time, or bring your own set. The Wednesday tournaments are a great way to get familiar with the game, meet some new folks and enjoy being outside.

Seeing patterns

If you grew up in the Midwest, you’re bound to have a summer memory or two of chasing fireflies as they lit up your backyard. Your imagination and whimsy might be sparked once again with the unveiling of TULSA PATTERNS, a public art installation from the Urban Core Art Project (UCAP). 

This yearlong installation by Kansas City artist James Woodfill debuts in early April at the Mimosa Tree-Pinnacle Building (3rd and Detroit). 

“I hope that the work operates both as a direct exhibition and as an ambient, subtle encounter,” Woodfill said. “I want it to have a subtlety that will allow a fresh experience each time people go by.”

The design features sporadic flickers of light using a system of battery-operated, solar-powered bulbs. The installation will almost blur into its surroundings as the lights pulse slowly, dancing from nearby light poles to various sides of the building. Woodfill developed the pattern by closely observing fireflies and their stochastic exchanges of light.

 “The magic part of what we see with fireflies in the wild is a vivid sense of purpose that is outside of our comprehension,” Woodfill said. “We are seeing into an alien system of communication that arouses our sense of wonder.”