I’ve gone to Open Streets Minneapolis events since the beginning - my favorite memory from the first one was watching then Mayor R.T. Rybak ride the Nice Ride ice cream tricycle down Lyndale Avenue, churning ice cream the whole way! The events have evolved a lot since then, and have become more than just celebrations of our streets. Having gone from a role of event attendee to event planner (part of a great team of folks working on Open Streets), I know that behind the scenes we work hard to make sure they’re inclusive events that reflect the neighborhoods they’re held in, and that the local community feels ownership over the event and is supported in making it their own. 

With family in from out of town and my wife expecting our second child any day now, I decided to take the day off of working the event and enjoy it as an attendee again. For the first time since I started working at pulling together these events I got to bike through with my family and experience a day at Open Streets!