Summer Parkways
A new summer celebration in Spokane is inviting people to leave their cars at home - and join the party down the street.
Set to overtake a swath of Howard Street as participants of all ages are encouraged to ride bikes, walk, run or skate, the first ever Summer Parkways events will be held along a three-mile route starting at Riverfront Park on July 11 and Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The parkways days are meant to promote human-powered forms of conveyance in daily life while bringing neighbors together, no matter the physical divide.
“It’s a very friendly event, centered around physical activity, health and bringing the community together. There’s no start or finish to it and everyone is welcome,” says Bill Bender, lead organizer for the event and member of Spokane’s Bike Advisory Board. “I think people are going to love it.”
Modeled after Bogot , Colombia’s, Ciclovias (meaning “bike path” in Spanish), where every Sunday more than two million residents take to some 70 miles of car-free streets, the Spokane Summer Parkways extend from the Riverfront kick-off point north along two miles of Howard Street to Corbin Park, adding another mile loop around that recreational area. The occasions are part street fair, part neighborhood celebration, with the focus on fostering active lifestyles and community spirit.
Along the route and in the parks, participants are invited to take part in a number of activities, including free yoga, Zumba, Hula Hoops and martial arts lessons. There will also be a bike decorating contest sponsored by Two Wheel Transit for best individual entry, group entry and most original way to ride on two wheels, while informational booths, food vendors, and other games and prizes will be available, too.
The event organizers were inspired to host Spokane’s Summer Parkways after watching a video of Ciclovias in action. Portland has dedicated a handful of summer weekends to it in recent years, and has witnessed the attendance grow to more than 15,000 participants.
“I was just enthralled by it. It just seems like a must-do for any city, in terms of being active and healthy and for community building,” explains Bender, also a neurologist at the Spokane Headache Clinic. Last fall the organizational efforts really kicked into high gear, he adds. “The video is infectious and inspiring to watch. Everybody involved agreed this was something we need to do in Spokane.”
By encouraging people to take part through more personalized modes of transportation, the organizers are hoping it brings members of the community closer. Beyond encouraging health and fitness, the community-building aspect of it will hopefully lead to the parkways becoming recurring fixtures for the city’s summer festivities, much like local farmers’ markets, says Erika Henry, an event organizer.
“It’s really about human-powered movement through the community and looking at things in a different way,” she says, emphasizing the focus on healthy lifestyles and alternate modes of transportation.
After several months of fine-tuning traffic plans and amassing a volunteer army of more than 100 volunteers, the organizers say there is just one missing piece: you.
“We will really like to see people take advantage of this,” says Bender. “The last ingredient we need is people.”
The Summer Parkways are presented by the SpokeFest Association and City of Spokane Parks and Recreation, with the help of sponsors such as Deaconess Medical Center, the Rockwood Clinic, Premera Blue Cross, Greenstone Homes and Northwest Spokane Pediatrics.