Aedyn Martinez balanced on his child-sized skateboard, pulled his hands up and hurdled down University Avenue on Sunday.
The 6-year-old attended the free Active Streets event, which closed off University Avenue from West Sixth Street to Northeast Boulevard from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
While vehicles were unable to pass through nine blocks of downtown Gainesville, locals were able to dance, cycle and play in the streets.
Aedyn said he liked to skateboard in the street, and his 8-year-old brother, Elijah, said he enjoyed seeing people of all ages.
The goal of the event is to bring together diverse groups of people who might not meet in everyday life, said Joseph Floyd, Active Streets’ co-chair.
“We want it to be representative of all of our community,” Floyd said.
As cyclists and rollerbladers zipped down the car lanes, businesses and community groups offered free services and activities, such as henna tattoos and hopscotch games.
Sophia Vernan, 10, used sidewalk chalk to color a bright yellow sun and chunky block letters to make Yopp! Inc.’s Small to Tall 5K Fun Run logo. She said she liked being able to cover the streets in her artwork.
“It’s fun ‘cause you don’t have to worry about cars hitting you or anything,” Sophia said.
Other locals lined the streets while they listened to live music from bands like the Swamp Cats and the Hungry Hearts Club. Pedestrians picked out frozen custard flavors from a SweetBerries pop-up tent. Cycling parents strapped their children into bike seats as they meandered through the crowd.
Gail Green, who is in her mid-50s, said she enjoyed how interactive the event was. As one of the event’s vendors, Green showcased her artwork while teaching children and adults how to paint using a reverse-glass technique, which involves painting in layers on the back of glass.
“I hope they keep doing this,” Green said. “I would do this every weekend.”
The Active Streets Alliance serves to promote active transportation, said Jill Guidera, the director of policy and advocacy. Active transportation involves getting from one place to another without a vehicle, such as biking, walking and skating.
At Sunday’s event, the alliance surveyed participants to see what they want from their streets, the 30-year-old said.
The alliance is working to create wide, well-lit sidewalks and safe bike lanes, depending on what the public wants, Guidera said.
“Our streets are our public space,” she said.
Cara Edwards, 26, the owner of My Yoga Connection, located at 117 NW 16th Ave., said she liked to see different people — from a man who just got out of the hospital to eager children — enjoy yoga in the street.
“Being able to do a headstand right on University is kind of a bucket list thing,” Edwards said.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 2/23/2015 under the headline “Active Streets event caters to local residents"]
Aedyn Martinez, 6, rides his skateboard next to the Alachua County Public Library on Sunday morning. Aedyn was attending Active Streets, an event which closed nine blocks of University Avenue so that people could enjoy the streets without moving vehicles.
