Open Streets returns to Carrboro

Weaver Street in Carrboro will be closed off to traffic on Sunday to encourage residents to come out and get active.

On Sunday from noon to 4 p.m, Carrboro will be celebrating its annual Open Streets event.

The event will offer activities such as yoga, dancing, bike riding and rock wall climbing.

The idea of the Open Streets event is to use the public space for activities that encourage healthy living and bring the community together, said Galen Poythress, recreational specialist for the town of Carrboro.

“It’s not about selling things but contributing to building a healthy community,” Poythress said.

Poythress said that the Carrboro event mirrors other Open Streets events across the country and that the idea came from “ciclovias,” a similar event held in Latin America.

“The event shows people a few things. One, there are a lot of ways to be active. Two, it’s fun, and you are not sitting inside and watching something happen,” said Heidi Perry, board member of the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition.

“The streets are public and can be leveraged in a way that can create a space for activity,” Perry said.

The Carrboro Bicycle Coalition started Carrboro Open Streets in 2013.

After the success of the inaugural event in 2013, the Carrboro Board of Alderman opted to continue the event.

Open Streets is now sponsored by the Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department.

“The event is pretty low maintenance in terms of needing staff,” said Board of Aldermen member Bethany Chaney.

“Everyone pitches in.”

This year the event also has 27 community vendors that will be setting up activities for attendees.

The Carrboro Bicycle Coalition is still largely involved with the event.

“Every business is required to offer an activity, and it does help to get their name out there,” said Perry.

All of the activities offered by local vendors this Sunday will be completely free of charge for Open Streets attendees.

“It is not a commercial venture, per se, but it taps into the creativity and interests of our community, and that is what makes it so special,” Chaney said.

“The event is really in line with our values, convening and healthy living.”

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