Vespa Club of Chicago

VCOA-Chi May Meetup: Meet Frederic
2023-05-20 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Overflow Coffee, 1449 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60605, United States
Frederic Lepron of Vespa Club Châlonnais (France) will be in town Saturday May 20, We’ll meet up at Overflow Coffee (1449 S. Michigan Ave.) 10am for coffee. We’ll chat, trade banners, get some photos, and show him a few landmarks in the area.
Overflow Coffee is in the former Vee Jay Records building, the Chicago R&B, blues, gospel, and jazz label that was home to John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Dee Clark, the Four Seasons, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Eddie Harris, and many more. Vee Jay also released the Beatles’ first few singles and an LP in the United States before Capitol realized what they’d missed.
Afterwards, we’ll ride to Bryan’s (near Fullerton and Harlem) for a garage day… It’ll be a good chance for spring maintenance, or to prep your bike for Amerivespa. If you need a hand with any maintenance, let us know so we can ensure we’ve got the right parts/tools for the job.
All scooters and scooterists are welcome!
There is no charge for this event, but bring money for coffee/pastries/sandwiches.

Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (Chicago)
2023-05-21 | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, 60707, United States
Haven’t heard any specific Chicago plans for this year but surely it’s happening? You can register and find out more at https://www.gentlemansride.com.

Michael Heggie Memorial Ride (Lake Geneva, WI)
2023-05-21 | Lake Geneva, WI, Lake Geneva, WI, United States
Contact Club Scoot Jockeys/Midwest Action Cycle for details

"Can't Go to Amerivespa" ride (Lake Geneva, WI)
2023-06-04 | Lake Geneva, WI, Lake Geneva, WI, United States
A long ride for those who can’t make it to Amerivespa in Flagstaff. Contact Club Scoot Jockeys/Midwest Action Cycle for details

National Lambretta Day 2023
2023-06-17 10:00 - 15:00 | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, 60707, United States
Vintage Lambretta-only day ride in Chicago, NEW DATE because of rain.
https://www.facebook.com/events/165130436456487

Vespa Parade Day 2023 (Chicago, Lake Geneva, nationwide)
2023-06-25 10:00 - 15:00 | Liberation Kitchen, 2054 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
VCOA-Chicago will be one of many chapters/cities/towns participating in VCOA’s national VESPA PARADE DAY event.
All scooters welcome. We will be headed up north for a ride along the beautiful lakefront.
Meet up at Liberation Kitchen at 10am, and grab coffee and something to eat. We’ll leave at 10:30am sharp.
Liberation Kitchen
From Liberation Kitchen we’ll ride up Damen, then over to *Montrose Harbor* for a photo op. (note: ight skip this stop, depending on Pride Parade traffic)
From there we will take Sheridan to Starbucks.
We will continue up Sheridan through the ravines (twists and turns)… lots of fun and very scenic!
Next stop is That Little French Guy French Bakery and Cafe
We will take Green Bay Road back to end at Double Clutch in Evanston for lunch.
From there it’s up to everyone to find their way home.
Most of the ride is a straight shot up Sheridan.
Basic Route (not the actual route, just a way to see the logistics, and to plan accordingly):
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2S6tQwQhXCQA6dUf8?g_st=ic
Club Scoot Jockeys will also be hosting a ride in Lake Geneva, WI. (Contact Midwest Action Cycle for details)

Tail of the Fox (Chicago/Batavia/Port Barrington)
2023-07-09 10:00 - 14:00 | La Sandwicheria, 2721 W Division, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
Chicago Vespisti presents TAIL OF THE FOX!
from the facebook event page:
We are organizing our first ride of the season. Join us on our ride out west to the Fox river. All scooters welcome. There will be stretches at 45-50mph, so keep that in mind. It may be too much for a 50cc.
We will start in La Sandwichera in Chicago. Kickstands up at 8am. We will ride west and meet up at Limestone Coffee in Batavia. Anyone is welcome to meet at either locations. The ride will leave Batavia at 10:30 and meander up the fox river with a total of 4 bridge crosses. We will end the ride at the Broken Oar in Port Barrington for lunch. This will be the end of the ride, but if you live in the city, there will be a group led back that way, or follow the group heading back to Batavia.
Chicago Group Meet
La Sandwichera Cafe – 7:30 am
(773) 697-7477
Leave at 8 am 41 miles to:
Suburban and Chicago Groups
Limestone Coffee & Tea – 10am
(630) 454-4556
Leave at 10:30 am 36 miles to:
Two hour to ride north along the Fox River. We will zig and zag across the river in a few places and make our way to:
Broken Oar Marina Bar and Grill around 12:30
(847) 639-9468
We will then basically take 35 to 12 back into the city. About 36 miles
Basic Route (not the exact route, just a way to see the logistics and to plan accordingly)

10th Annual Vespa Scoot Fest (Arlington Heights)
2023-07-15 11:00 - 16:00 | Arlington Motorsports, 1020 W Northwest Highway, Arlington Heights, IL, 60004, United States
This is an annual scooter meetup hosted by Arlington Motorsports.
From the dealer:
“We are hosting a Vespa Sponsored Scoot Fest on Saturday July 15, 11-4pm
We will be catering to all scooter guests with food trucks, shaved ice truck, live music, and lots of Vespas We will offer discounts and special sale pricing on Vespa accessories.”
If you’d like to ride out with VCOA, we’ll meet up at Starbucks at Lawrence and Central at 10am, stands up at 10:30. Afterwards, we’ve been invited to JB’s in Wood Dale by a member who works there. More info at this facebook event page.

M•A•I•N Ride
2023-08-04 - 2023-08-06 | Friendly Music, W Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn, IL, 60402, United States
(From facebook event page)
ZWAPT ZHOP YEARLY RIDE. We are going to host a big ride/event. This is not an ordinary #zwaptzunday ride. This will be one of a kind. So if you have 1 wheel 2 wheels 3 wheels you do not want to miss this! The dates are August 4-6. SAVE THE DATE!!! CALL OFF!!! TAKE A MENTAL HEALTH DAY! More details coming soon! See less

Storm the Castle
2023-08-13 10:00 - 18:00 | Scooterworks Chicago, 5410 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Chicago Vespisti presents:
STORM THE CASTLE
(NEW DATE! 8/13!)
Meet at Scooterworks Chicago and leave at 10:30.
We will ride up to the Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin.
More details coming soon.

VCOA-Chi August Meetup: Portage Park Farmers' Market
2023-08-20 10:00 - 16:00 | Portage Park, 5358 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
We’ll meet up at 10am on Sunday August 20 at the Portage Park Farmers’ Market. We’ll grab some food there and check out the scene (I’m told it’s popular with the hot rod/tiki crowd), then go for a group ride around the airport and up to the northwest suburbs and back.
If you’re a new rider, this’ll be a great chance to get some group-riding experience before the Slaughterhouse rally.
More details to come!

Don’t Hit the Bridge (Long Grove, IL)
2023-09-24 10:00 - 16:00 | Starbucks 1028929, 7136 Ogden Avenue, Berwyn, IL, 60402, United States
(from facebook event page, check there for updates)
This is a 30 mile 50cc-friendly ride to Long Grove, partly along the Des Plaines River and its forest preserve. At Long Grove , we can dine at Illinois longest-running business (since 1847), the Village Tavern, or stroll along the Streets of Long Grove to do some window shopping before we regroup and head back via the town’s historic covered bridge …..if it’s still open. The meeting location is at the southeast corner of Harlem and Ogden at the Exxon gas-7/11 w the Starbucks next door. Kickstands up no later than 10:45am.
Route Map (GPX file for Beeline and other GPS apps, right-click to download)

Summer's Over Scooter Ride
2023-09-30 18:00 - 22:00 | Scooterworks Chicago, 5410 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
An end-of-the-summer ride hosted by Scooterworks Chicago:
from the facebook event page:

Come join us for Scooterworks Chicago’s Summer’s Over Scooter Ride!
All scooters are welcome. Be sure to stop by early for snacks and refreshments before we take a 50cc-friendly ride up Sheridan.
Be sure to fill up before you go! Kickstands up at 7pm.
As always, thank you for your support.
We’ll see you there!

Skootoberfest (Lake Geneva, WI)
2023-10-07 | Lake Geneva, WI, Lake Geneva, WI, United States
From the facebook event page:
Club Scoot Jockeys’ 15th Annual Lake Geneva Oktoberfest Fall Ride! Start at Midwest Action Cycl, 2463 Vista Dr., Lake Geneva around noon for some hot cider and snacks. A large scenic group ride will leave at 1pm and will be a leisurely 50cc safe cruise north. The route will be posted soon but we will have one stop on our way up to Duesterbecks in Elkhorn. They are having their 4th annual Oktoberfest celebration that is a lovely festival that we want to be a part of. Live music, food and their very own Oktoberfest brew in a beautiful setting is in store for us. From there you will be on your own to get back to Lake Geneva. This is our 15th annual Skootoberfest so we will have some memorabilia to honor this. Patches, stickers and t shirts will be available. Oktoberfest dress is highly encouraged. Can’t wait to see you all! Prost!
If you’d like to ride up with VCOA-Chicago, meet Michelle, Jennifer, and Andy at the Shell station at York and Irving in Bensenville at 8:30. Kickstands up at 9am. They’ll also make a stop in Volo, then arrive in Lake Geneva around 11am.

Second Annual Starved Rock Ride
2023-10-15 09:00 - 18:00 | Starved Rock State Park, Oglesby, IL, 61348, United States
Note: Despite some rain in the forecast, the ride is ON, note later start time!
The rain should clear up on the way down.
Meet at 9am, please be gassed-up and ready to depart before 10am.
We’ll take the back roads through Joliet along the southern Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers to the famous park. Once there , you can go hiking, dine at the lodge, or take in the sweeping views of the river from the top of Starved Rock itself. This ride will NOT be 50cc friendly, as we will be doing 50mph at times.
Route Map (GPX file for Beeline and other GPS apps, right-click to download)

Lake Geneva Shenanigans (Chicago/Lake Geneva)
2023-10-15 09:00 - 18:00 | Brew Coffee Lab, 1501 Miner St,, Des Plaines, IL, 60016, United States
From the Facebook event page:

You asked and we listened! This ride is a more 50cc friendly ride. The route was created using the Scooter Route App with a maximum speed of 45mph according to the app!
So if you can’t make it on the Starved Rock Ride (Not 50cc friendly) join us instead on the back roads up to Lake Geneva! The ride looks to be very scenic passing a number of lakes, forest preserves, and we will cross the Fox river at least once. It should be beautiful with the leaves changing color.
We will meet up at Brew Coffee Lab in Des Plaines Sunday October 15 at 9:00am for breakfast/coffee. Then start our journey up to Wisconsin at 10am sharp.
Brew Coffee Lab
(224) 875-8126
1501 Miner St, Des Plaines, IL
https://g.co/kgs/em6j2N
The route is 2 1/2 hours so we will stop at least once for gas/break.
We will have lunch on Lake Geneva next to Big Foot Beach at The Boat House Bar & Grill. They have a pretzel the size of a pizza!
https://www.theboathouselakegeneva.com
Then make our way back following the same route.
Hope to see you there!

Old Joliet Prison (Joliet, IL)
2023-10-22 09:00 - 16:00 | Starbucks 1028929, 7136 Ogden Avenue, Berwyn, IL, 60402, United States
(From Facebook event page, check there for updates!)

Just in time for Halloween, we’ll take a ride out to the prison and visit some spirits still locked away. Maybe we’ll even see Joliet Jake Blues there! Just be glad you’re following Jason and not being followed by him and his brother Freddy! Tour tickets can be purchased at https://www.jolietprison.org/ or in person at guard house/gift shop. Only a few guided tour tickets left.

VCOA November meetup: West Side Record Store Ride
2023-11-19 11:00 - 17:00 | Spicy Taco, 2825 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, 60618, United States
Note new date: Sunday November 19, 11 a.m.
Meet at 11am for lunch at
Spicy Taco
2825 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
Be gassed up and ready to ride at noon (though the first two are just up the block). As always, all scooters and scooterists (members and non-members) are welcome. This ride will be 50cc-friendly.
We’ll stop at several great independent record stores on Chicago’s west side, with a BUNCH of variety. Every genre, format, and price range!
Here’s the new/final route. Since it’ll be cold, and some shops close at 5 and a couple aren’t open on Sunday, we shortened the ride, and eliminated a few stops (we’ll hit them next time!)
Meet at 11am for lunch at
SPICY TACO
2825 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
at about 11:45 we’ll head up the block to our first two stops:
Record Breakers
2935 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
(wide variety of new/used vinyl, used to be at Reggies)
and
Bric A Brac Records
2845 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
(records, books, toys and vintage collectibles!)
then a bit east to the mighty
Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records
3182 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(They’re offering us 10% off their great selection of metal/horror/punk books, movies, and music)
Then our longest ride (just a few miles) west to my beloved neighborhood shop:
Orbit Records
7155 W Grand Ave, Chicago
(Great variety, lots of jazz, LPs, singles, and 78s!)
Then up Harlem (and back to the nineties) at
Rolling Stones Records
7300 W Irving Park Rd, Norridge
(Classic rock, metal, mostly CDs, lots of video)
and back east to another pair of neighboring shops:
Tone Deaf Records
4356 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
(large variety of new/used vinyl and books)
and
Howling Pages
4354 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
(Comics and books, also offering 10% off!)
Maybe after that we’ll stop at Printers Row Brewing?
Yes, it’s November. The weather is a crapshoot but looks to be decent, if it’s super-cold and/or wet, we’ll cancel it, but it’ll be mostly short hops, so you can warm up while digging.
Carrying records on a scooter is a little tricky, be sure to bring a suitable bag! If your favorite shop’s not here, don’t worry, we’ll do more in the spring.
And then there are bookstores!
We’re also planning a record/book swap over the winter, so start a “trade” pile!

Zwapt Zunday
2024-03-03 10:00 - 15:00 | Friendly Music, W Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn, IL, 60402, United States
From Zwapt Zhop’s facebook:
60 degree weather this Zunday? Who’s ready to roll out? Dust off your bikes! Check your tire pressures! Let’s go!! Don’t be late! 1st #zwaptzunday of the season.
Note that Zwapt rides are primarily minimotos (Honda Grom, Navi, Monkey, etc) but scooters are welcome.

Get Your Scoots on Route 66
2024-04-14 09:00 - 19:00 | Field Notes, 401 N Racie Ave, Chicago, 60707, United States
Second City Scooter Society ride!
From the Facebook event page (check there for updates and details):
UPDATE: We’ll meet up for a SCOOTER BLESSING at 9am Sunday at Field Notes (401 N. Racine, in the parking lot). Have your bike anointed with holy 2-stroke oil in a non-denominational ceremony hosted by the most-righteous ordained minister, Sweet Baby Sean McNamara. I’ll be there to take photos to show your parents. We’ll leave from there assured that the ride — maybe the whole riding season — is blessed by the higher power of your choice.
Ride from Madison ave , down Old Rt 66 perhaps as far as Wilmington, stopping at Dell Rhea’s chicken basket , an original Rt. 66 mainstay.

Vespa World Days (Pontedera, Italy)
2024-04-18 - 2024-04-21 | Vespa Museum, Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
Vespa World Days 2024 is in Pontedera, Italy, home of the Vespa factory and museum, April 18-21.
Registration for VCOA members has closed. Three members will be representing the Chicago Chapter as part of a 41-member VCOA “Team America” contingent.

Spring Camporee
2024-05-04 - 2024-05-05 | Camp Bullfrog Lake, 9600 Wolf Rd, Willow Springs, IL, 60480, United States
Join us for an overnight camping trip at Camp Bullfrog Lake in Willow Springs. Ride down with us from the city, or meet us there! The ride down is pretty quick, it’s about an hour and a half from the city by scooter. 50ccs welcome.

Reserve a cabin (small or large), tent space, or RV space ASAP
(choose “May 4-May 5” to see available sites)
Space is limited, reserve a site while they’re available!

Our group ride to camp will leave from the endpoint of International Female Ride Day at District Brew Yards (417 N Ashland Ave). That ride will end around 12:30, we’ll depart at 1:30pm and arrive at the campsite around 3pm.

We plan to arrive in time for check-in at 3pm. set up camp, hike and kayak and fish, cook up some dinner, and socialize until 11pm quiet time. BYO gear, food, and drinks. Kayak rental is available. Bring the family!

Note that we didn’t reserve the whole campground, so we’ll be politely co-existing with other campers.

Check the facebook discussion to arrange cabin sharing with other scooterists.

Thanks to Kara Z. for the artwork, we’ll have decals for all attendees!

International Female Ride Day
2024-05-04 10:00 - 14:00 | District Brew Yards, 417 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
From the facebook event page:
Welcome to the first annual Chicago International Female Ride Day scooter ride!
*please note: This event will END at District Brew Yards for lunch at noon. The actual starting location is still being worked out and will be updated once the route is finalized!*
JUST RIDE!
International Female Ride Day celebrates the power, passion, and freedom of women riders everywhere! More information about IFRD: https://motoress.com/international-female-ride-day/
Our ride will be exploring the art and murals of Chicago and will end at District Brew Yards for lunch and beverages.
All genders are welcome to join in celebrating and lifting up women riders. This ride is trans, non-binary, and queer inclusive – if you feel you belong, you do! Allies welcomed and encouraged – please come support the women in our community and ride along side us!
The ride is organized and lead by Chicago area women scooterists and so is focused on scooters, but motorcycles, trikes, etc are welcome. All we ask is that you be safe, practice good group riding etiquette, wear proper gear, and ride sober!
The ride is 18+, however District Brew Yards is a brewery and is 21+ only.
After lunch, join VCOA Chicago for their Spring Camporee!
https://facebook.com/events/s/vespa-club-of-chicago-spring-c/278317865288924/
New to group riding? No problem! We’ll start the ride with a crash course on group riding etiquette and let you know where to ride in formation. We’ll have veteran scooterists to help out with questions and so forth.
More details to come as things are plotted out and finalized – watch this space!

Superhero/Villain Ride/Costume Contest
2024-05-18 13:00 - 17:00 | Joey G’s Mac and Cheese, 2350 W Augusta Blvd, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
From the Facebook Event Page (hosted by MiniMotoWorx and “Ranger Danger Events”)
Hey folks!
We are hosting the first ever Superhero/Villain Costume Ride & Contest on May 18th in West Side Chicago!
We highly encourage you to do GROUP costumes and to plan with your friends ahead of time!
BEST GROUP COSTUME wins a prize!
This will be a fun, slow pace ride with many stops for food & fun! May 18th, West Side Chicago
Meet-up spot will be announced.
ALL types of rides are welcome including Mini-Bikes, Scooters, Cruisers, Sport Bikes, Go Karts, and anything else fun!

Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2024
2024-05-19 | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, 60707, United States
The DGR is a vintage/classic-style motorcycle charity ride for mens’ health.
You must register for ride details. There are three separate rides scheduled in the Chicago area:
Chicago
Naperville
Woodstock

Riding (to) the Rails POSTPONED AGAIN
2024-06-08 09:15 - 16:00 | Illinois Railway Museum, 7000 Olson Rd, Union, IL, 60180, United States
POSTPONED AGAIN, sorry, bad weather. Watch for the new date.
Second City Scooter Society welcomes you to ride to the Illinois Railway Museum
From the Facebook event page: (check the event page regularly, changes may not be reflected here.)
Let’s meet at the Dunkin at SE corner of Harlem and North Ave at 9:15 , kickstands up at 10. From there , we’ll ride the back roads out to the Illinois Railway Museum. The route will be among the forest preserve to Algonquin rd into the Barrington area where we ride some nice hilly back roads past Huntley. This may not be 50cc friendly, but we can try to keep a pace suitable? After a few hrs at the museum, we’ll dine at Beef Shack, they serve wonderful cheesy beef sandwiches w fresh cut fries. There are other dining alternatives in that area. Admission for the museum is $20 per adult.

Lake Geneva Shenanigans
2024-06-09 | Lake Geneva, WI, Lake Geneva, WI, United States
Group day-ride from Chicago to Lake Geneva and back.
From Ben:
***UPDATE I am not able to lead/attend this ride so Jason Eisenhut agreed to lead this one. Thanks Jason! Hope everyone attending has a good time!***
The route was created using the Scooter Route App with a maximum speed of 45mph according to the app!
The ride looks to be very scenic passing several lakes, forest preserves, and we will cross the Fox river at least once.
We will meet up at Brew Coffee Lab in Des Plaines Sunday June 9th at 9:00am for breakfast/coffee. Then start our journey up to Wisconsin at 10am sharp.
Brew Coffee Labhttps://www.google.com/…/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5…
The route is 2 1/2 hours so we will stop at least once for gas/break.
We will have lunch on Lake Geneva next to Big Foot Beach at The Boat House Bar & Grill.
https://www.theboathouselakegeneva.com
Then make our way back following the same route.
Hope to see you there!

National Lambretta Day Ride (Chicago)
2024-06-09 10:00 - 15:00 | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, 60707, United States
Details from the facebook event page:
Meet up at 10am at Junebug Cafe Six Corners (4042 N Milwaukee) for coffee or a breakfast pie.
We’ll take the scenic route out to Glen Ellyn for lunch at Tutto Bene Ristorante Italiano (552 Crescent Blvd) around 12-12:30pm.
2024 Lambretta Day patches will be available at both locations.

The ride (but not meetups!) is a vintage Lambretta only event!

Quadrophenia at the Music Box Theater
2024-06-17 19:00 - 22:00 | The Music Box Theater, 3733 N Southport Ave., Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
on Monday, June 17, Motoblot presents a screening of Quadrophenia at the Music Box Theater in Chicago.
From Molly:
Calling all scooterists! We will be doing a photoshoot outside the Music Box and need you to dress smart! There will be a rocker contingent, and we will be re-enacting the Quadrophenia rumble in Brighton to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Chicago’s first Mods v Rockers event. Dress your best and and be ready to pose or rumble… whatever is needed! More info to come, stay tuned.

Vespa Parade Day 2024
2024-06-23 | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, 60707, United States
Sunday, June 23, 2024 is national Vespa Parade Day. Vespa Clubs all across the United States will host rides.
Our Chicago ride will be headed up by Adam Armstrong (part of the club will be at Canada Vespa Days) and meet up and end at Motoblot, with discounted admission to the festival.
Check out this facebook post for details.
We’ve got stickers for all attendees, last year, even with half the club in Arizona, we had over 2o riders, and with the Motoblot tie-in this year, we should have even more! ALL scooters and ALL scooterists are welcome!
