Santa Maria Open Streets, ¡Calles Vivas!, will be held for the third year Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. along one mile of Main Street, stretching from Broadway to Blosser Road.
Organized by the California Farmworker Foundation and Santa Maria in Action, ¡Calles Vivas! offers a day of safe and healthy recreation for all ages, celebrating community, art and local businesses. The event drew over 10,000 people in 2023, according to organizers.
Open Streets is rooted in a global movement which started in Bogotá, Colombia, as a response to traffic congestion and urban isolation. The concept, known as “Ciclovias,” has since been adopted worldwide.
Santa Barbara County launched its own version in 2013, with Santa Maria hosting its first event in 2019. After a pause during the pandemic, the event returned in 2023, said Carlos Escobedo, Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas! chairman.
Organizers of the 2024 event expect an uptick in participation from local businesses, with waived registration fees encouraging more booths.
“We are going to have more than 120 activity providers,” said Escobedo, and will see a return of the BMX show.
“It’s going to be three professional shows throughout the day. The BMX zone will be located at the end of the intersection of Main and Russell in that area,” Escobedo said. “Also, two stages will be set up.”
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Escobedo emphasized the significance of the event for residents and local businesses.
“It’s a very unique event because it takes up a street that is usually associated with cars going really fast, but we make it a space to celebrate bicycles and alternative ways of transportation. By the way, the Santa Maria buses will be free that day,” he said.
Escobedo encouraged attendees to bring bikes, roller skates, skateboards, and scooters to cruise around the mile-long path.
“We invite everybody to come up and enjoy a day of free activities for Santa Marians. This is going to be the result of many months of planning and a lot of people working on it. We want everybody to show up and enjoy themselves,” he said.
The event showcases a wide variety of wellness and fitness activities including dance, martial arts, yoga, a climbing wall, a kids’ bike safety rodeo, soccer, basketball, and lawn games.
Attendees can also explore the annual health fair, which offers free medical screenings and community wellness resources, along with a mini farmers market. There will be cultural activities and performances, live music in English, Spanish, and Mixtec, as well as a sustainability expo and arts and crafts zone.
For more information, visit www.SantaMariaOpenStreets.org, or follow them on Facebook @SantaBarbaraOpenStreets and Instagram @SBOpenStreets using the hashtag #SantaMariaOpenStreets.
