Justin Timberlake makes surprise appearance in Portland, rides bikes with local kids

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Justin Timberlake made a public appearance in Northeast Portland on Sunday to support a local organization and ride bikes with Portlanders a day before his concert at the Moda Center.

Former Alameda Elementary School P.E. teacher Sam Balto, who also serves as the executive director of the nonprofit organization Bike Bus World, told KOIN 6 that he invited Timberlake to join the community pedal event by posting a video on social media in September. The posts went viral, reaching 14 million people on Instagram and TikTok.

“People love cool things happening,” Balto said. “People love joy. And there’s nothing more joyful than having Justin Timberlake join the Bike Bus”

Bike Bus World is a local nonprofit that brings kids and families together through community bike rides to school. As of 2025, nearly 20 local schools hold weekly or monthly bike bus events.

“They’re a great way of building physical activity into the school day, creating joy and stronger school communities in a really fun and active way,” Balto said.

Although Timberlake’s Bike Bus ride happened on a Sunday instead of a regular school day, Balto said that he hopes the appearance will help raise awareness and get more local families involved in Bike Bus World events.

“It really turned out to be perfect because it allowed students [to participate] who might not normally be able to,” he said. “Hopefully kids and families made connections, and they saw the joy of participating in the bike bus and we’ll have greater turnouts on our rides every Wednesday.”