Avani Cathie, 9, of Butler knows what she likes, and she really likes the bike she got at Sunday's Bicycle Rodeo at the Butler Farmers Market, 205 S. Chestnut St.

“I like it because it is pretty and has a basket and a cupholder and a balloon,” said Avani.

The sky may have been overcast but the mood was bright as children between 5 and 15 lined up at 10 a.m. to register for a free bike.

As names were called, volunteers escorted children through the building to pick out a bicycle. There were all types to choose from, from those still with training wheels to knobby-tired off-road bikes.

Other volunteers worked to adjust seats, handlebars and brakes and fill tires. Others handed out pizza slices, tied balloons to the bikes and then the new owners walked out of the market to try out their new two-wheelers.

That's just what Avani planned to do.

“I'm going to ride it on the road. I'm going to ride it in the summer,” she said.

Jesse Smith, 11, of Butler was going to do the same.

“I kind of knew what I wanted. I'm going to ride it around Alameda Pool,” said Jesse.

Once she laid eyes on her new ride, it was love at first sight for Brooke McPherson, 11, of Butler.

She said, “I like it because of the colors on it and it fits me.

“I'm going to ride around and have fun, see my friends and show off,” Brooke said.

“The brakes work, and on my other bike the brakes didn't work,” she said. “And it made a click, click, click noise when I rode it.”

Making sure Brooke's brakes and the brakes on all the bicycles worked was the job of volunteers such as Jim Osche.

“I'm basically filling the tires, making handlebar and seat adjustments. It's important that it is adjusted for a safe ride.”

Osche's son, Nathan, a former BMX racer, was one of the volunteers who worked before Sunday's event to get the bicycles in shape.

“We must have close to 170 bikes,” he said. “We've been working to make sure the brakes are working and the chains are adjusted properly and that they are safe to ride.”

He said he and other volunteers worked four hours a day for six days.

“I helped out with this when I was a kid,” he said. “And beyond me there were a lot of people who gave a lot of time.”

Bicycle Rodeo first-timer Marquay Pollard, 9, of Butler certainly appreciated the effort.

“I'm going to ride it everywhere I can,” Marquay said as he wheeled his new bike out into the parking lot.

Bikes weren't the only attraction. There were fire trucks and police cruisers and face-painting.

Julie Saeler, healthy living director of the Butler County YMCA, said Nick Yannotty, youth and family director, and some of his employees were doing the face painting.

Saeler said, “We have the children tell us what they want, and our talented staff Google the image and paint it on”

“There's been a lot of snakes and Spider-Men and the Hulk is very popular,” she said. “Cats and flowers and butterflies are more for the girls.”

“I'm just kind of winging face painting. It's a lot of fun,” said YMCA volunteer Megan Majercak.

Book Stop, a program that distributes donated books overseen by Bulter High School National Honor Society members, handed out free books to all takers.

But for children like Jace Ingram, 9, of Butler who was admiring his new purple and yellow Huffy, the main attraction was the bicycles.

Jace said he selected his bike “because it is the perfect size for me and it's easier to ride.”

Asked where he was going to bike to, Jace said, “I'm not sure. I'm going to ride it around.”