Open Streets shuts down a mile of downtown DC this Saturday

The shutdown spans from Rhode Island Avenue to E Street, cutting through Shaw, Mount Vernon Triangle and Chinatown.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the downtown section of 7th Street, from Mount Vernon Triangle to E Street, will shut down early at 2 p.m. The street itself will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for set up and clean up.

There are fitness zones throughout the walk that offer free classes for passersby, including yoga, dance workouts and wrestling lessons. Local performers — from rock bands to gospel groups — will be supplying entertainment with some breaks for cultural dance performances, like a Chinese Dragon Dance and Flamenco. Small businesses will also have stands along the street, selling food and other wares.

Like past years, there is also a focus on bicycle safety, with bike repair workshops, free cycle maintenance, and a giveaway of 22 adult bikes and 29 children’s bikes.

“Open Streets is about coming together as a community, staying active, supporting our local businesses, and reimagining how we use public space,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in a release. “We’re a walkable city, we’re a city that is focused on expanding biking and public transportation options, and Open Streets shows us what’s possible.”

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) says Open Streets helps to get people excited and thinking about pedestrian plazas, which are part of a new downtown plan.

“One of the things that the mayor is doing in terms of downtown revitalization is looking at adding more pedestrian plazas,” said DDOT’s director, Shannon Kershbaum. “This is going to be one of our inaugural ways to do that right downtown, on 7th Street.”