A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Open Streets truly special. With over 14,000 participants counted throughout the day, this was our largest Open Streets event ever— nearly doubling previous attendance records!

If every attendee chose to take one more trip per week using an active mode instead of a single-occupancy vehicle, Fort Collins GHG emissions would be reduced by about 275 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (about the same as 55 single-family homes’ electricity use in a year). Reducing vehicle use also reduces other air pollutants, like particulate matter and precursors to ozone, so these kinds of household choices also help the community breathe cleaner, healthier air.

Photos from the event can be found HERE 

This year marks Fort Collins' ninth year of Open Streets! This year's details:

• Where: Shields St. from Mountain Ave. to Lake St.
• When: Sunday, September 15, 2024
• Time: 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Cost: FREE music, FREE activities! Purchase meals or snacks from food and dessert trucks all along the route.
• What: Live music, interactive arts and culture activities, Wellness Space hourly workouts, activities hosted by local organizations and businesses, food and dessert trucks.

If you've never been to Open Streets, here's a video of what to expect:

You're invited to be a part of the Parade of Wheels! Join others for a ride, run or walk through the Open Streets route. Here's the schedule:

At Shields and Elizabeth:

• 9:45 a.m. - Runners and walkers (meet in front of the Showmobile stage for the event opening, which will be immediately followed by the group run/walk)

At Shields and Lake:

• 11 a.m. - Unicycles
• 12 p.m.- Wheelchairs
• 1 p.m. - Skateboards
• 2 p.m. - Spin scooters

At Shields and Elizabeth:

• 10 a.m. - The Catcalls
• 11 a.m. - Foco Flava
• 12 p.m. - Wes Kirkpatrick
• 1 p.m.- Carlos Barata Music
• 2 p.m. - Tonguebyte

At Shields and Pitkin:

• 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. - Greyrock Jazz Band

Sponsored in part by: Bohemian Foundation

Wellness Space at Shields and Laurel:

• 10 a.m. - Run with Fort Collins Running Club (*Shields and Elizabeth)
• 11 a.m. - HIIT with Niki Veldman
• 12 p.m. - Om Ananda Yoga with Chantel Akers
• 1 p.m. - Board30 Bands Class with Theresa Rudel
• 2 p.m. - Hip Hop Dance with Foco Flava

Sponsored in part by: Poudre Pet and Feed

Chat with a Council Member at Shields and Mountain:

• 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. - District 6/Mayor Pro Tem Emily Francis
• 11 a.m. -1 p.m.​ - District 5/Kelly Ohlson
• 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. - District 4/Melanie Potyondy
• 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. - District 3/Tricia Canonico

Additional activities along the route: Bike Maintenance with Trek and Bike Wrench, street performances by Evolution Circus Troop, music petting zoo with School of Rock, Planting with Gardens on Spring Creek, interactive booth simulating life experiences living with disabilities by Awesome in Action, helmet decorating with Bike Fort Collins, skating footwork with FoCo Roller Derby, Bubbles, free myofascial work and Kinesiology Taping with Adapt Sports Therapy, Chalk the Block, doggie ice cream with Poudre Pet and Feed and more!

At Shields and Pitkin:

Transformer Cabinet Mural Project with artist Terry McNerney. He will be painting a transformer cabinet mural at Pitkin entitled "Colorado Fishin". This project is made possible by Art in Public Places.

If you live along the Open Streets route, here's what to know:

• Residents should park in driveways or on side streets to keep the event route clear for participants. 
• Emergency service will be allowed. 
• Police will be on-site for the duration of the event.
• Recommended detour routes will be in place.
• You'll receive information on these recommended detours in the mail before the event. Generally, you're advised to enter and exit the event route from the side street closest to your residence. 

2024 Detour Routes

If you work or own a business along an Open Streets route, here's what to know:

• We'll work closely with you to provide the best possible access for staff and customers, especially if your business entrance is located on the event route. 
• In some cases, we will establish and sign detour routes for your customers to safely access your establishment. In limited cases, we will allow volunteers to escort your customers directly to your business. 
• Get involved! We invite you to get creative and join the Open Streets fun. We offer discounted rates for businesses located directly on the event route if you're interested in hosting a tent and free activity like other event vendors. 
  • We also encourage you to provide event discounts and promotions to encourage foot traffic during the event. 
• We'll avoid staging Activity Hubs in front of your business.

At Open Streets, participants can expect 1-2 miles of car-free, family-friendly streets. Participants are encouraged to Ride the Route and explore all along. Open Streets events demonstrate the potential of future street improvements to support active modes of transportation.

Open Streets events aim to show participants that travelling by bike, foot, scooter, and other active, car-free transportation modes can be comfortable, easy, and a healthy alternative to driving. Activities from local businesses are located throughout the event route to encourage movement along the entire route.  Participants can find activities which include live music, local food trucks, health- and wellness-inspired activities, and participant-made art! The possibilities are endless at Open Streets. 

Goals of Open Streets:

• Demonstrate the demand for future street improvements by creating temporary, car-free streets for the community to walk, roll, and bike along. 
• Encourage future active transportation among participants along Open Streets routes after the event concludes. 
• Feature local businesses and organizations that support active transportation, health, wellness, and community well-being. Create opportunities to connect participants with these organizations. 
• Foster social capital by connecting neighbors with one another during the event and beyond.

National Open Streets Initiative