What started off as a cloudy day at CicLAvia—Mid City meets Pico Union, quickly turned into the bright, sunny weather many Angelenos are accustomed to. Thank you to our partners Accelerate Resilience Los Angeles (ARLA) for partnering with us on this event. You can read more about our collaboration here.
The press conference kicked off our 44th event centered on the theme of climate resilience and ways to take immediate action in the community and at home. We were fortunate to hear from Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez (CD1), Councilmember Heather Hutt (CD10), Connie Llanos (Interim GM, LADOT), Frank Ching (Deputy Executive Officer, LA Metro), Andy Lipkis (Executive Director, Accelerate Resilience L.A. [ARLA]), and Lynne Thompson (Los Angeles Poet Laureate 2021-2022).
Lynne Thompson expressed that, “The theme of today is really about people coming together for something really important for our city.” She also shared an excerpt from her poem, Raffia, which tied in with this theme stating that, “Everything is family, everything is connected.”
We also got to hear from California State Representative, Laura Friedman, who shined light on the fact that through actions such as CicLAvia events, the choice to get around Los Angeles without a car is becoming more possible, but still needs to be more accessible, especially via public transit.
Did you make the cut? CicLAvia participants had the opportunity to test their speed skills at the USA Cycling-Search for Speed booth. The next member of Team USA could be discovered at CicLAvia. They will be returning to CicLAmini-Watts on May 21 if you want to give it a try!
There were plenty of activities at the Mid City Hub! St. Elmo Village set up a watercolor workshop for all ages all while teaching water conservation and climate resilience in a fun, interactive way.
Santa Monica Mountains (SAMO) Fund set up their booth at the Arlington Heights Hub and handed out native milkweed plants for free! These plants attract monarch butterflies as they migrate through North America and provide them with the necessary nutrients and shelter for their long journey.
Our friends from ARLA provided a stage for music, poetry, and other artists to showcase their talent! Dublab DJs curated a playlist specifically for the event, the Sycons put a spin on things with their solar powered setup, Maroon Arts & Culture and Street Poets shared amazing stories through spoken word, rap, and poetry. Sin cesar shared climate related works of literature and also searched for Black and Brown writers for their upcoming climate-themed issue.
As always, the local community put their own spin on things during the event. Near the Pico Union Hub you could find neighborhood kids selling lemonade and even playing double dutch in the middle of the street, something you don’t see often, except during a CicLAvia Sunday.
We love seeing helmets at CicLAvia and encourage everyone to wear one. Friendly reminder that those under the age of 18 must wear a helmet per CA law. Special thanks to the City Of LA Community Investment For Families Department for providing FREE bike helmets & wheel reflectors to all youth.
Need some more CicLAvia swag? Click here to check out our newest raccoon + skunk t-shirt, as well as other merch.
This event could not have been possible without support from the community - whether it’s volunteering on event day or making a tax-deductible donation. Interested in volunteering at the next event? Click here for more info! And be sure to join our CicLAvia Street Stars by making a monthly contribution and support open streets in Los Angeles all year long!
A huge thank you to Somos Oaxaca for hosting the Friends of CicLAvia lunch for our CicLAvia Street Stars. Want to be invited to the next gathering? Become a Street Star by setting up a monthly donation here.
We have 6 more events planned for 2023. Sign up for our email list so that you don’t miss out on route maps and other important announcements!
Looking for more photos? Check out all of our event photos in our Flickr Album!
Photos: Ryan Duclos, Jon Endow, Laura Rudich, and Snap Yourself!
