If you didn’t have a chance to participate in the first Sunday Parkway of the season, held in North Portland on June 21st, you still have two more opportunities this summer.
Sunday Parkways, modeled after an event now held every week in Bogota, Colombia, were brought to Portland for the first time last year. Several miles of roads were closed to motor vehicles, allowing people to walk and bicycle in the streets, with food vendors, entertainment and informational booths along the route and in nearby parks.
The first Sunday Parkway was such a success (an estimated 15,000 people participated) that the City decided to expand the program. With financial backing from Kaiser Permanente, this year, in addition to the June Parkway, there will be a second event in Northeast on July 19 and a third in Southeast on Aug. 16.
Designed as a way for people to slow down and enjoy their neighborhoods, Sunday Parkways are very family-friendly. At the one last Sunday, I saw a 2-and-a-half-year-old boy riding his own bicycle – without training wheels! There were lots of kids on bikes, in bike trailers, in strollers, on scooters, and walking on their own two feet.
The route linked Arbor Lodge Park, Peninsula Park and Kenton Park, where you could buy vegan burritos, sample a variety of Clif Bars, try your hand at juggling and stilt-walking, or climb REI’s portable rock wall.
You might also consider volunteering. I got to be an Intersection Super Hero (with a title like that, who wouldn’t want the position?) on Sunday, setting up barricades and monitoring a street corner for a couple of hours. People were so appreciative, thanking me as they rode and strolled by, plus I got to dress up and wear a cape, which made volunteering as much fun as participating
For more information, and to volunteer, click here – and join in the fun!
Posted by Anne

June 25th, 2009 | Category: Metro Parent