Stories

Something about the open streets – people going at a slower pace, communing with neighbors and friends, and experiencing Los Angeles from a new perspective that makes music really come alive. So many Angelenos are used to hearing music encased in their cars; at CicLAvia, the streets themselves become concert arenas.

At a typical event we have tens of thousands of attendees. That's a massive audience for our local artists & musicians!

As people discover their own neighborhoods at a slower pace, they often see things they never noticed before: restaurants, parks, local activities, and public art.

We looked back at some of the murals and hidden works of art we've spotted on streets all across Los Angeles County at our various events. Even as we revisit similar routes again and again, the art changes. It can be an incredible barometer of local culture and attitudes.

So much has happened in 2020 that Angelenos may forget that this was the year we explored a new route together in South LA. Across 6 miles of Central Avenue, from the north-end Jazz District and South Central down into Florence-Firestone and Watts (all the way to the edge of Watts Towers), CicLAvians jogged, cycled, skated, rollerbladed, walked, and rolled their way through open streets that celebrated so much of the art and culture of our city.

An abundance of street murals, restaurants, and historical landmarks lined the route - including new tributes to Kobe Bryant in Watts.

In commemoration of CicLAvia’s 10th anniversary, Los Angeles artist Brian Rea designed an image that captures the joy, excitement, and energy that our events bring to LA streets and communities.

We are so thrilled to collaborate with Brian on this original, creative, and detailed work. Alex Merlino, our Director of Finance, and Sandra Kulli, a member of our Board of Directors, talked with him about how his own experiences at CicLAvia, and working in Los Angeles, guided this project.

This is an incredible moment for us: CicLAvia has been opening streets, connecting communities, and exploring neighborhoods together all across Los Angeles for 10 years!

On October 10, 2010, we hit the streets for our first event, CicLAvia—Heart of LA. About 100,000 people discovered the myriad joys of open, car-free streets along a 7.5-mile stretch through downtown and into Boyle Heights. We are looking back at some of the many moments, images, and even headlines from that inaugural event.

At Social Venture Partners LA’s Fast Pitch 2020, CicLAvia Chief Strategist Tafarai Bayne presented a fresh vision for open streets as our city adapts to new challenges. Read his remarks below, or watch a video here - and learn how you can help CicLAvia usher in a more equitable, more sustainable future with even greater opportunities for Angelenos: 

Remember when 50,000 Angelenos would gather together on miles of LA streets - running, biking, skating, walking, and playing the whole day away? Can you hear the sound of bike chains, footsteps, and laughter? Can you see the young man raised in South Central riding the bike he's built himself, smiling and chatting with the lawyer from the west side on her $3,000 race bike?

Moving via people power, just glad to be out experiencing a neighborhood in a brand new way, feeling both more connected to this city and to each other. That is the power and joy of a Ciclavia open street event: transforming streets into connective spaces - allowing for the many individual interactions and choices that, together, result in systemic shifts in consciousness and action.

CicLAvia and our partners are leading conversations and movements across Los Angeles for safer streets, connected communities, and more expansive urban parks. As our Executive Director Romel Pascual observes, “It’s always been CicLAvia’s mission to have people reimagine what their streets could and should look like.”

We are so thankful for the incredible response to our Giving Tuesday Now campaign. You invested in miles of smiles and memories to come. Together, we donated over 1200 meals to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank! It was an inspiring day for the CicLAvia community.

For nearly 10 years now, we shared stories and experiences on LA’s streets and showed what it means to be connected as a community. We supported local businesses, celebrated arts and culture, and were enriched by local gems along every route. Together we celebrated all aspects of LA’s diversity, and what makes LA special.

Since 2010, CicLAvia has transformed and engaged communities all across Los Angeles County. Today, CicLAvia is recognized as the nation’s most-skilled producer of car-free street events, connecting Angelenos to each other through a shared sense of adventure.

CicLAvia’s 10th anniversary year is underway, after kicking off our 35th event in South Los Angeles this past Sunday, February 23. Across 6 miles of Central Avenue, from the north-end Jazz District and South Central down into Florence-Firestone and Watts (all the way to the edge of Watts Towers), CicLAvians jogged, cycled, skated, rollerbladed, walked, and rolled their way through our first open streets event of the year.

An abundance of street art, restaurants, and historical landmarks lined the route - including new tributes to Kobe Bryant in Watts.