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The annual scooter rally, Scoot-A-Que returns this weekend for its 16th year. Hosted by the Columbus Cutters Scooter Club, the rally brings together motor-scooter enthusiasts from Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Washington DC, and beyond.

Each year carries a different theme and this year’s is “16-Bit” in tribute to early 16-bit video game such as Donkey Kong and Sonic the Hedgehog.

“The 16-bit theme plays off the fact this is the 16th year for the rally, which makes Scoot A Que one of the longest continually running rallies in the U.S,” says Eric Martineau, Treasurer for the Columbus Cutters, and a founding member of the club. “Personally, there is something appealing about the fun and simplicity of the old-school video games that goes well with the fun and simplicity of riding motor-scooters. And like the Super Mario Kart video game, when you ride, you always try to avoid the banana peels and other obstacles!”

Registration for the event and the activities is $25. In addition, raffle tickets will be sold, with proceeds being donated to the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio and the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. The prize? A vintage 1971 Vespa GT in a beautiful sky blue.

The Vespa was purchased by the Columbus Cutters Scooter Club and Capital City Scooters donates its time and parts to fix any issues the scooter has and makes sure it is running correctly.

“Vintage scooters require a bit more maintenance than a modern scooter, but in general vintage scooters very simple machines so much of the work can be done by yourself,” says Martineau. For anyone concerned they are not handy enough, Martineau assures that “Modern scooters are very reliable.”

The Columbus Cutters formed in 2003 out of a group of friends who rode and worked on vintage motor scooters.

“In 2003, the scooter-boom had not yet occurred and there were relatively few new scooters available,” says Martineau. “The Columbus Cutters was partially formed out of the need for people to learn how to maintain vintage scooters.”

“Our club has a wide variety of impressive scooters,” he adds. “Some are highly-tuned vintage scooters that can go very fast, over 70mph. Others include fully restored scooters -meaning paint and parts all as originally produced- such as Vespa GS model. Still others have custom paint jobs that have a hot-rod feel to them. Finally, some have high-end modern scooters like the Vespa GT 250.”

A scooter is not a necessity to participate in the event. The Scoot-A-Que tends to draw nearly about 150 scooters, with about 180 people participating overall. New this year, the Scoot-A-Que is the finish-destination for “The Corsette”, an all-women, 2-day timed ride on vintage small-frame motor-scooters.

“This is the 4th year for The Corsette and it attracts riders from both the east coast and as far away as Oklahoma,” says Martineau. “These super-cool women are great examples of how inclusive the scooter scene is.”

The full slate of events for the 16th Annual Scoot-A-Que:

Friday September 20th

Corsette Happy Hour

5:00 – 7:30 pm – Corsette happy hour at Seventh Son Brewing

1101 N. 4th St. Columbus, OH 43201

Registration at Capital City Scooters

7:30 – 11:00 pm – Registration at Capital City Scooters (beer included)

2509 Summit St. Columbus, OH 43202

(614) 265-2885

Movie Studio 35

11:00 pm – Street Fighter at Studio 35

3055 Indianola Ave. Columbus, OH

Saturday September 21st

Breakfast

9:30 – 11:30 am – Breakfast at Two Caterers and Sweet Carrot (food included with registration)

550 South High St. Columbus, OH

Ride

12:00 pm – Ride will start after breakfast at Two Caterers and at the Bexley Piada.

There will be a ride alternative – video game scavenger hunt – for those not wanting to go on the scooter ride.

Food after the ride

3:30 pm – Italian street food at Piada with gymkhana to follow (food included with registration)

2585 East Main St. Bexley, OH 43209

Post Ride Recovery

6:00 – 8:00 pm – recover from the ride on your own and prepare for the night’s festivities!

Main Event

8:00 pm to 2:00 am – the Scoot-a-Que main event at Ace of Cups

2619 N. High Street, Columbus Ohio

Sunday September 22nd

Brunch

10:00 am – 1:00 pm – brunch at Park Street Cantina

491 North Park St. Columbus, Ohio

Visit ScootAQue16.com for more information.