HYANNIS – They took to the street on bikes, rollerblades, skateboards and – simply – on foot by sneakered foot.
Hundreds gathered on Main Street, Hyannis Sunday for the third Open Streets event since September of last year.
The recurring day closes off the roadway to cars from Ocean Street to Sea Street in order to facilitate laughs, local business, and alternative means of transportation.
There was a range of involvement from the shop owners, many of whom sponsored the day’s events.
Aselton Park was turned into a kid-friendly obstacle course, while each of the cross walks and a few of the storefronts had special tables filled with activities like face painting and prize winning contests.
Participants also had a veritable buffet of lunch options to choose from, as most of Main Street’s restaurants were open and cranking out a diverse set of dishes.
Owner of Red Fish Blue Fish and event organizer Jane Walsh said the array of eye candy wasn’t the only draw-in.
“I think for a lot of people, it’s just about bumping into people you haven’t seen in a while and seeing everybody out,” she said.
The local effort was inspired by an international Open Streets campaign, which closes roadways across cities and towns in the United States, Brazil, and elsewhere to encourage green transportation.
The Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District and Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce have a hand in the production.
They started it here last fall on two separate Sundays. The inaugural Open Streets in September saw 5,000 attendees, followed by an even larger 7,000 day in October.
While some of the merchants were hesitant to close the roadway to cars for any period of time, Walsh said the first event proved the event is worth it.
Walsh said the next Open Streets day will take place May 21st, followed by a fall edition on September 17th. An October date is yet to be announced.
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
