Kids’ Patriotic Decorated Bikes Pedaled Into The Parade

A little after 10:00am on July 4, over 30 children crowded together outside the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce to learn the winners of the 2025 decorated bike contest. Their bikes washed the street in a red, white and blue sea of streamers, pinwheels, handmade signs and other festive decorations.

Each year, the contest features three categories: Best Overall, Most Original and Most Patriotic. First place through third place prizes are awarded for each category, and when the contestants join the Severna Park Independence Day parade, the winners get to lead the charge.

Many of the contest’s participants looked forward to joining the parade after the announcement. Best Overall winner Brynn Bond, who participated for the first time this year, was especially excited to see her bike’s pinwheels and flags blow in the wind.

When asked by a fellow contestant how she was going to get everything off her bike after the contest, Brynn said, “I’m going to keep it on!”

Second place in the category was awarded to another newcomer. Emily Klebaner’s idea to zip-tie a patriotic rooster to her bike paid off. Though thrilled to have done so well, Emily was already looking forward to what would come next.

“I’m excited to ride in the parade and have fun,” Emily said after learning of her placement. “I made a friend and I’m going to ride in the parade with her!”

Most Patriotic winner and 9-year-old Ben Matsumoto was also strategic with his bike design. Ben placed second in the category behind his sister Emma Matsumoto last year and was pleased about his improvement. He showed off an eagle placed in his bike’s cupholder and explained that it was his favorite part. “The eagle made it a better chance of winning,” Ben said.

Emma, 10, went for a different category this year. She put a flamingo on a pink bike in honor of a tropical theme and won second place in Most Original. Fittingly, she started work on her bike before going on vacation. “I did tropical because I really like pineapples and because flamingos are pretty and pink,” she said.

This year, contestants were creative with costume design as well as bike decorating. Both second and third place winners for Most Patriotic dressed up with their bikes. Eight-year-old Oliver Bark, who placed second, decorated his helmet with a mohawk that matched his explosively red, white and blue bike, which he named “Firework” in honor of the firecrackers and fireworks he decorated it with.

Third place for Most Patriotic went to 6-year-old Ava Paisley, who rode a two-person bike with her mom and dressed as a bald eagle. “I was like, ‘Mom, I want a Fourth of July costume!’” Ava explained. She already has ideas for next year.

Another contestant who showed off an animal was 10-year-old Lola Rice, who achieved first place for Most Original this year after winning Best Overall last year. Her bike was adorned with a giant unicorn head, and she showed off a drawing she had done of her bike’s design.

This wasn’t her unicorn bike’s first visit to the contest, and Lola was excited to return with a bike design inspired by an idea from when she was younger. “I just wanted to make something that I wanted to do when I was little,” Lola said.

There was fun to be had even for those who didn’t win. Like many of her peers, 14-year-old Victoria Perez looked forward to riding in the parade after the contest. Victoria, a first-time competitor, was joined by three younger sisters: Ariesa, Erin and Lucy.

“I don’t remember if I’ve ever been in a parade or not,” Victoria said. “I kind of just like the idea of going, ‘Wheeeee!’”

See more photos of the kids' decorated bikes.