Orchestra to offer discounts for bikers

The Minnesota Orchestra is offering a 50 percent discount on selected concerts for people who ride bikes to Orchestra Hall.

The program will launch this summer and run into the fall. Violist Sam Bergman, an avid cyclist himself, said bikers need only drop by the Orchestra Hall box office to claim a discount voucher.

"Not just at concert time, but anytime our box office is open, folks can just show up and show your helmet to the people at the box office and you get a discounted rate on a ticket to the concert of your choice," he said.

Bergman said this is a chance for the orchestra to adapt to the changing nature of Minneapolis transit.

"Most of downtown is completely traversable for cyclists, dedicated lanes and such, and it is completely possible to get to Orchestra Hall without ever biking on a street that doesn't have a dedicated lane," he said. "So why not participate in that?"

Concerts eligible for voucher use are listed on the Minnesota Orchestra website. Extra bike racks are being added around Orchestra Hall.