OPEN STREETS

This year marks the fifth celebration of Open Streets, an annual event in Minneapolis that “allows people of all ages to experience their streets in a new way.”

I ran into my friends Carla and Marisa at the event.

During each of these celebrations, dozens of blocks of a particular street are shut down to car traffic, inviting people to explore the street on foot, by bike, by skateboard or however they choose.  In addition to the regular shops on the street, small booths pop up selling their specialty items, and activities such as yoga, take place in the middle of the street.  All of these components help people to experience the streets from a new perspective and in a whole new way.

The Nice Ride bikes were used by lots of people throughout the day.

A local theater group stage a play in one of the adjacent parking lots.

One of the many bands that played throughout the day.

Vera's Garden located on the Greenway, a walking and biking path 

that runs under Lyndale Avenue.

Nice Ride, which provides bikes throughout the city for people to rent, celebrated their fifth anniversary this year during the Lyndale Avenue Open Street (the first one of the summer) by giving out free cupcakes to attendees.  Needless to say, they gave out hundreds of cupcakes.

Nice Ride bikes ready to be rented.

Nice Ride gave out free cupcakes to celebrate their fifth anniversary.

Galactic Pizza, on Lyndale Avenue, was handing out free samples 

to people passing by.

It was fun watching yoga classes in the middle of  the street.

This is my size of coffee cup!

We ended the day with dinner at World Street Kitchen. 
(Photo: Robert VanZandt)

Open Streets has grown over the past five years from one event in 2011, to the eight events planned for this year.  More information, on these amzing events may be found here.

*** Have you attended anything similar to Open Streets in your area?