A Review of Viva Streets Denver
On Sunday, May 14, 2023 I had the pleasure of participating in the first ever ¡Viva Streets Denver! event. I want to share my experience, some things that I thought about that could improve the event because no event is perfect and why I’m so excited to enjoy the next three events this summer.
For those of you reading this post who: live in the surrounding Denver metro area, are in the mountains, the Western Slope or are planning a future trip to Denver-add this event to your must experience when in Denver. No event is perfect and having hosted a ridiculous number of events I’m sharing some thoughts on how the experience can be improved in some ways. This is a review of Viva Streets Denver and some thoughts on the overall experience.
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Viva Streets Denver
Is now one of my favorite experiences to enjoy in Denver. When I tell you that I fell in love with this event and the experience…I can’t express it enough. In fact, years ago, there was a similar smaller event that was hosted in Park Hill. I was so sad when it didn’t happen again and I truly hope that we double down on this new experience, creating a car free experience of Denver that many people have only experienced walking home after the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 win and walking back after the parade.
What Exactly is this Event?
Put simply, ¡Viva Streets Denver! is inspired by the Ciclovia event made popular in Bogata, Colombia. A car free experience, held on Sundays that allows people to enjoy blocked off roads to ride, walk and recreate in the way that you can without worrying about navigating spaces being shared with cars. In the case of Denver’s event, 3.5 miles of Broadway was shut down so that we could enjoy the road.
It was GLORIOUS.
My bike currently has two flat tires so I need to get it fixed before the next event so I decided to walk almost the entire route. I also crossed my fingers and hoped that I wouldn’t get rained on as the surprisingly grey and rainy weather continues to linger on.
I stopped by vendor tents set up along the route, met people new to me and spoke with the volunteers helping to keep participants space.
May 14, 2023 Event Video
Podcast Episode About ¡Viva Streets Denver!
My Initial Observations
- For some folks it was almost…overwhelming and scary to enjoy the street. There was an “How can this be real” look on some people’s faces.
- While Colorado people are pretty good about coming out in all types of weather, I do think that the slight chill and rain may have delayed some participation.
- I felt the block of time is PERFECT to go up and down the street, explore, talk to people, shop, etc.
- The Adults looked so happy. I heard people saying things like “This is so cool” “I can’t believe this is real!” “Epic!”
- I loved that there were families, pets (please keep them on their ledes) and kiddos safely enjoy the space.
- There weren’t enough Black and Brown participants for my liking. There needs to be an email tree to every organization in and around town about this event.
I actually think it was good that things weren’t overwhelming on Sunday so that event planners could get feedback on the event, see what worked, what could be tweaked, etc.
What I Would Love to See More Of
With any new event, there are going to be some hiccups as people discover the event. You never know if there’s an issue until people have arrived. There were a few things that I noticed and I thought it would be good to bring it up.
- Please include porto potty locations on future maps LOL! A lot of businesses/restaurants open around 11:00 am on Sundays so….if you have to go…you don’t know where to go.
- Music-I started walking up the street from 1st and Bayaud and I loved that there was a band on that block. I imagine that there will be more of this now that people have heard about the event.
- Experiences or little stations for kids along the way.
- Keep them simple. Chalk, bubbles, water
- Experiences for doggos along the way (I’m not even a pet person)
- Squeaky toys, etc.
- Communication about the Taste of Colorado component to the event. I had NO IDEA it was happening until I walked by Civic Center Park. I really hope that the vendors made some money on Sunday. I do think as things get warmer that there will be a lot more activity in the park naturally…but, it felt like there was a bit of a disconnect
- Food trucks-I felt like there could have been more food trucks along the route and at Civic Center Park.
- Brand Ambassadors-In a past life I worked as a brand ambassador. It was a lot of fun and one of the main things we did was pass out product and share talking points with people on the street. I hope to see this at ¡Viva Streets Denver! This is out of the hands of event organizers btw.
Safety Rules-Respect Them
It pains me to have to bring this up but it’s so important. Participants, please remember the rules of the road. There are kids, pets and folks walking along the route. In general, I do feel like people were very respectful of everyone’s space. But I think as the event grows we need to talk about safety and respect each time we make our way to the event.
- Wear a helmet if possible (Biking, Scooters, Roller Skating)
Overall Event Experience
Absolutely PHENOMENAL. When I tell you that I fell in love with this event-I fell in love with this event. It takes a lot to get American cities to close down infrastructure (roads) for activities that may feel like they are outside of the norm.
- Marathons-Yes
- Cycling-Yes
- No cars??? Just people riding, walking and scooting up and down the street?? Wut??
If you’re thinking about experiencing this event and live in town, are up in the mountains or are a tourist-I highly, highly recommend it. There was a certain childlike happiness that I left with and I couldn’t wait to experience the freedom that I did during that moment.
I also want to shout out the incredible crew of team members who put this together, the volunteers and law enforcement who helped bring this incredible event together. I felt at ease, safe and comfortable and my observation was that other people did as well.