Vagabike Returns Tomorrow: A Great Ride with an Even Greater Purpose

Community • Giving Back • VBA Member Spotlight

Vagabike Rolls Out Tomorrow: A Great Ride with an Even Greater Purpose

Born after Hurricane Sandy, now in its 14th year, and more than $70,000 in scholarships strong, Vagabond’s signature fundraiser hits the Atlantic City Boardwalk on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

Some businesses give a neighborhood a place to gather. The best ones turn that gathering into something that matters. Vagabond Kitchen & Tap House, a proud member of the Ventnor Business Association, does exactly that through Vagabike, a fall tradition that pairs a day on the Boardwalk with real support for local students and young athletes.

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 3, 2026, Vagabond Charities, Inc. presents the 14th annual Vagabike. More than 250 riders are expected to roll out of Chelsea Heights for a leisurely cruise down the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk, and every pedal stroke helps fund the next round of local scholarships.

Where It All Started

Vagabond opened in 2013 in Atlantic City’s Chelsea Heights neighborhood, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. That same year, the very first Vagabike rolled out as a way to bring people back and promote local business after the storm. A comeback ride for a comeback town.

Today the restaurant is led by owner Tom Harris, a Ventnor Heights local, and it has twice been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. But the thing regulars talk about just as much is how Vagabond shows up for its community, and Vagabike is the biggest example.

The Vagabike Timeline

More Than a Bike Ride

The scholarship program is the heart of Vagabike. In 2021, it offered six $1,000 awards to graduates of Atlantic City and Egg Harbor Township high schools, weighing volunteerism and work experience alongside grades. By 2025, it had grown to cover students from all of Atlantic and Cape May counties, and to include trade school students alongside undergrads.

That shift says a lot about the people behind it. Vagabike recognizes young people building a future through different paths, as long as they’re giving back to the communities around them along the way. Proceeds also support Atlantic City High School athletics, including the Atlantic City Vikings, along with the Egg Harbor Township Eagles.

Ride Along with Vagabike 2025

Want a feel for the day before you go? This recap of last year’s ride captures the bikes, the Boardwalk, and the crowd.

What’s on Tap for 2026

The headline this year is the scholarship total: organizers now report more than $70,000 awarded to local students, up from $50,000 just two years ago.

This year’s published Boardwalk stops are Wonder Bar, Ducktown, Back Bay Ale House, The Biergarten, Byrd Cage, Steel Pier, AC Tiki Bar, and Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall. That’s longtime favorites like Wonder Bar, Steel Pier, and Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall alongside names like Byrd Cage and AC Tiki Bar, plenty of local businesses getting a well-deserved boost along the way.

Rider packages include your choice of a souvenir T-shirt, a hooded sweatshirt, or both, plus a complimentary BBQ buffet back at Vagabond when the ride wraps up.

Make Tomorrow Count

Whether you’re riding, cheering from the Boardwalk, or stopping into one of the businesses along the route, tomorrow is a great day to show up for the community. And if you can’t make it, stop by Vagabond any day of the week and see what the fuss is about.

Fourteen years in, Vagabike is still doing what it set out to do after Sandy: bring people together and put something good back into the community. Here’s to Tom Harris, the Vagabond team, Vagabond Charities, and every rider keeping those wheels, and those opportunities, moving.

Read more about the business in our Vagabond Business Spotlight.

Sources:
Vagabike 2026 organizer listing;
Vagabike 2025 listing;
Shore Local (2024);
Freedom City Bike Club (2023);
DownBeach (2021);
DownBeach (2025);
2015 ride announcement;
VBA Business Spotlight.