NO CARS ALLOWED: BIKE WEST HARTFORD TAKES OVER CITY STREETS FOR ANNUAL EVENT
-Cycle and Stroll at West Hartford "Center Streets" on August 26TH-
Folks of all ages are invited to "take to the streets" for a care-free and car-free summer morning in West Hartford Center on Sunday August 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. This third annual family-friendly event expects to surpass last year’s estimated crowd of 2,000 participants.
The town will close traffic on four roads that form a rectangular loop around the central business district: Farmington Avenue, South Main Street, Memorial Road Extension, and LaSalle Road. Ride your bicycle or scooter, or take a stroll down the street, without automobiles. Participating restaurants will offer brunch specials and free surprises, many merchants will feature discounts, and live music will be performed all morning. Children will be able to ride bikes, play hula-hoop, jump rope, and draw with chalk in streets closed to traffic.
“Our first few Center Streets were beyond amazing,” recalled co-organizer Ethan Frankel. “We were thrilled with the massive turnout and everyone was smiling.” He was inspired by car-free summer events that have become increasingly popular in New York City and elsewhere around the globe. Residents tell co-organizer Edward Pawlak that they’re looking forward to this ‘open streets’ festival. “We would love for it to become an annual summer event, with support from the Town of West Hartford.” Center Streets is the signature community initiative of Bike West Hartford, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes bicycle-friendly policies and programs in town.
Financial support for Center Streets is being provided by many local business and residents, including Talcott Financial, The Residences at Steele Road, CT Childrens Medical Center (Watch for ME CT), United Bank, West Hartford Police Officer’s Association, Scott Franklin & Associates, Inc., Farmington Savings Bank, Bloomfield Bike Shop, Marcum LLP, Thomas Fahy Insurance, Berkshire Bank, Connecticut Ecosystems LLC, the MDC Water Wagon, and the Frankel Family.
Dust off your bikes, scooters, and strollers, and meet up at Center Streets!
Bike West Hartford, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation promoting the development of bicycle infrastructure and education within West Hartford. CLICK HERE to visit their website