Press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Open Streets Asheville Inaugural Event Set for Sunday, September 18, 2016
Asheville, North Carolina – June 29, 2016 – Open Streets Asheville is set for Sunday, September 18, 2016 from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., marking our city’s enthusiastic response to the global open streets movement. Some call it “Asheville’s next big thing.”
The event opens the streets for a few hours of healthy family fun. Our 1.5-mile route is a loop that hugs Asheville landmarks downtown; Open Streets Asheville fills it with people of all ages and almost every activity you can think of that doesn’t include a motor vehicle. Come play in the streets!
In a city that loves its festivals, it’s important to know what’s different about Open Streets Asheville. It’s not a festival, but an exploration of what can happen in the public spaces we call streets when temporarily closed to cars and opened to community. It’s about connecting with your neighbor and with local businesses. It’s about building community, promoting physical activity and sharing fun. Planning began in 2015 for this public-private initiative that’s co-sponsored by Asheville Downtown Association, Buncombe County, City of Asheville, Land of Sky Regional Council, MAHEC, NC Safe Routes to School, UNC-Asheville, Asheville on Bikes, and downtown’s Altamont Environmental, Inc.
Join your neighbors as they walk, bike, shop and skate through the streets of downtown Asheville. Businesses and organizations will host interactive activities for all ages at storefronts and on the streets. Meet new neighbors while you paint a mural; dance; play four-square; test human-powered vehicles and more!
“Enthusiasm for our inaugural Open Streets has been wonderful,” says Terri March, Health Improvement Specialist at MAHEC. “We expect Open Streets Asheville will become a regular, much-anticipated part of our community’s culture by promoting health and creating streets that meet the needs of all who live here.” To find out more, visit OpenStreetsAsheville.com. (If your business or organization would like to become a Sponsor or Activity Partner, let us know!)
Very excited about this. What a great plan!