On Wednesday, May 14, Hot Italian gave out free slices of pizza. On Sunday, May 17, Chipotle gave out free burritos during a four-hour period. And through the end of the month, Lucca Restaurant and Bar is giving out dessert with a purchase of any entree and Morgan's Bar & Grill will be selling Pabst Blue Ribbon for only a buck and pitchers for $5.

But wait...there's a catch. All of these offers are only valid if you arrive at the eatery or bar via bicycle.

As part of Bike Month, local businesses have come together to encourage riding on two wheels instead of driving on four. The month is about to end but cyclists still have a chance to don their helmets and partake in the festivities; on Thursday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., BikeFest will be held on the West Steps of the State Capitol in a huge celebration of Bike to Work Day.

"Biking to work, school or just around town helps you save money and time, stay fit, and improve our air quality. Even better, bicycling is a fun way to travel, and a lot easier for many different types of trips," said Erik Johnson, the Public Information Coordinator for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACC).

SACC, along with Sacramento's transportation associations such as the Sacramento County Department of Transportation, Caltrans and Regional Transit along with many others have come together to organize and sponsor not only BikeFest but an entire month of honoring bicyclists.

On the morning of BikeFest, the Department of Regional Parks will be waiving parking fees along four entrances to American River Parkway. There will be energizer stations set up along the parkway with free coffee, juice and bagels for cyclists on their way to work from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The capitol's BikeFest will have over 40 exhibitor tables manned by bike shops, bike groups and public transit providers. There will be complimentary safe valet bicycle parking so that people are free to walk around as well as free bike safety checks. Any biker registered withmayisbikemonth.com who brings their printout of miles will receive a fruit freeze and raffle entry for a bike.

The six-county Sacramento region has set a month-long goal of its residents logging one million miles during May and as of Tuesday, May 19, close to 600,000 miles have been logged by 6,455 individuals with the numbers increasing every hour.

As part of a challenge posed to groups and organizations in the region, close to 900 businesses, over 80 schools and 250 bike clubs/teams have registered and set goals for the month.

In the large employer category (500 or more employees) Caltrans is leading with over 26,000 miles logged. The medium-sized employers (101-499 employees) are only a few miles apart with Department of Fish and Game leading over Sacramento's U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District is leading the small employer category (one to 100 employees).

Those that have reached their goals will be announced at the end of May along with recognition of outstanding Commuters, Advocates, Employers and Students that will receive awards at both local and regional levels.

To track the progress of businesses and schools participating in the challenge and a list of organizations that will be at BikeFest visit mayisbikemonth.com.