ELLINWOOD - Friday night After Harvest Festival activities included mechanical bullriding at the Kansas Sidewinders Motorcycle Club beer garden. 

Surrounded by an inflatable pit, the mechanical bull was open to all ages and abilities, with many children being the first to give the holstein-spotted contraption a whirl. A trained operator controls the “bull,” ensuring a reasonably safe ride for those brave enough to try. Risks were detailed near the entrance to the ring. 

As the evening turned into night, men and women opted to give the beast a try, with bystanders eager to capture the spectacle of their friends’ awkward moment of being tossed off, heels over head, to grope their way to the inflatable wall. 

The Kansas Sidewinders Motorcycle Club is a service organization that raises funds for area children’s causes. Proceeds from the mechanical bullriding activity will help to advance the organization’s mission.