A mile of University Avenue will close Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as thousands of residents visit the fourth-annual Active Streets Gainesville.
Organizers expect up to 10,000 visitors throughout the event, which includes interactive booths from local businesses and organizations, said Kathryn Horter, a Gainesville Street Alliance committee member.
The mile between West Sixth Street and Northeast Boulevard will be closed, according to an event flyer.
“It is free for vendors to sign up, and they are expected to provide free, fun activities,” Horter said.
Joseph Floyd, the executive director of the Active Streets Alliance, originally requested funding from the Florida Department of Transportation to bring the “ciclovias” to life.
“These ciclovias include a closing of a public pathway of certain streets, a practice sometimes called ‘open streets,’” he said.
Floyd said Active Streets Gainesville is the only Florida ciclovia organized solely by citizens and funded by the FDOT and the city — all while attracting more visitors.
This year, organizers added a bike valet, where guests can park their ride while visiting the main event or a concert taking place on Bo Diddley Plaza afterward.
Horter said the free event brings together locals who may never meet in everyday circumstances.
“The event is designed to highlight and build community,” she said. “There is no headliner or main event because we all meet in the street as equals.”
