32 | VIPPensacola.com
story by
Mary Aho
| photos provided by
Ciclovia
D
on’t walk; run, bike, jump, or
dance your way to downtown
Pensacola for the 3rd annual open
streets event Ciclovia. Ciclovia
(seek-low-via) or Cyclovia, is a Spanish term
that means “cycleway,” either a permanent
bike path or the closing of certain streets to
automobiles for cyclists and pedestrians,
a practice sometimes called open streets.
Ciclovia’s beginning is credited to Bogota,
Columbia. The event dates back to 1974 and is
held there weekly every Sunday and on public
holiday. Certain main roads are closed and the
roadways are freed up for cyclists, runners,
and skaters. Pensacola decided to introduce the
concept downtown in 2017. People of all ages
come out for the event and join in on the fun as
they explore and get their heart rates going.
Ciclovia – Pensacola Open Streets is the
perfect opportunity to get your creative juices
fl owing to come up with ways to be active
outside. Major streets in downtown Pensacola
will be blocked off to cars in order to create a
large, safe place for people to get moving. Not
only is this a huge plus for everyone’s health
but it also gives people the ability to check out
what downtown Pensacola has to offer, and
explore in a way that otherwise wouldn’t be
possible. It is a fantastic way for all walks of life
to come together and move to the beat of their
own drum in a safe environment.
In addition to the streets being closed,
vendors will be set up around downtown along
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2/25/19 8:29 PM