The City of Corvallis invites residents to take back the streets for the people in the annual Open Streets Corvallis Festival.

On Sunday July 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. a car-free route travels between Garfield Park and Cloverland Park. Along the route there will be an activity hub along the northern edge of Porter Park.

All three parks have their own activities for attendees to enjoy. 

Cloverland Park will have temporary tattoos, educational activities and games for all ages. Porter Park will feature a cooling tent, a few games and an informational tent. Last but not least, Garfield Park will have more games, dog training and more educational activities. 

Unlike Porter Park, Cloverland and Garfield will offer food and drink. Both parks will have alcohol but the drinks are not allowed outside the boundaries of the beer gardens. 

Alongside the activities there will be live music. Cloverland and Garfield will have different shows, and more information can be found on the activities page. 

People who live along the route are encouraged to set up signs or a ‘surprise’ for the attendees. If help is needed, the organizers have shown off some of their own creations.  

According to Lindsay Almarode, active transportation specialist for the City of Corvallis, the event started with the partnership between the City of Corvallis and the Corvallis Bicycle Collective. 

The first ever Open Streets event was held in August 2017. According to Almarode, over 2,000 people and 33 organizations participated. Ever since then, the event has continued to grow and moves to different neighborhoods each year. 

“There’s nothing like experiencing a street free of cars and filled with people having fun. It’s a unique way to explore the neighborhood and there are tons of interactive activities to participate in,” Almarode said.