Based on the wildly popular CicLAvia, which is in turn inspired by Bogota’s “Open Streets” festivals that are more than 40 years old,
Open Street Sunday arrives in Grand Rapids on Sunday, May 22 on Ionia Avenue.
And while CicLAvia recently celebrated its 17th year this May with a 19 -strip of nonlinear roads held in the southeastern Los Angeles neighborhoods, when we kick off our version with a much smaller footprint on Sunday, cars, cabbies, and motorcycles will be banned on the popular Ionia Avenue (between Fulton and Cherry) to make room for bicyclists, long boarders, BMXer’s, walkers, runners, and even inline skaters to celebrate the joys of alternative forms of mobility.
Since this is an experiential event, and it is the first one, it will be hard to explain it fully since it is what you bring to it -- so don’t be shy.
And they have sponsors and vendors on site to support the many activities the organizers at DGRI are hoping to see appear on this Sunday.
Partners participating include The Spoke Folks, who will have their mobile bike repair truck there, but the day will also feature other vendors like The Rapid, Bustin Boards, Grand Raggidy Roller Derby, Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition, and many more.
It also will feature pop-up games like mini-bike jousting, a strider-bike obstacle course, and from the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum a kids bike obstacle course, plenty of chalk to create sidewalk/street art, and even interactive games for kids.
Even the Rise Above BMX Team from AGA Nation will be downtown to present two outstanding demonstration exhibitions at 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
For this first time event, you will not find food trucks on the street. Rather, DGRI wants to encourage folks to enjoy many of the area’s restaurants, including newcomers Luna (Mexican) and The Waldron House (British pub cuisine).
If you want to extend your downtown experience, then venture down to The Downtown Market, where a special
Made in Michigan Pop-Up Marketplace is back for the afternoon. Visit
here for more on the pop-up market and
here for more on Open Street Sunday.
Admission: Free