Open Streets festival to take over Shields Street in Fort Collins for a day

A stretch of Shields Street in Fort Collins will become a car-less festival for a day on Sunday, Sept. 15.

It's the city of Fort Collins' ninth Open Streets event, when pedestrians take over a street to demonstrate the benefits of car-free transportation.

For this event, Shields will be closed to all vehicular traffic from Mountain Avenue to Lake Street, including vehicle crossings, with the exception of Mulberry Street, which will remain open for east-west traffic.

The street closure will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the festival will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Events include live music, interactive arts and cultural experiences, hourly fitness sessions, food and dessert trucks and local vendors.

A ribbon cutting with Mayor Jeni Arndt is at 9:45 a.m. at Elizabeth Street.

Artist Terry McNerney will turn a transformer cabinet into a work of art live at Pitkin Street.

“Open Streets is designed to advocate for safer streets by encouraging active modes of transportation such as walking, biking and skating,” Active Modes Specialist AnnMarie Kirkpatrick said in a news release.

“This year's route on Shields Street — a key arterial road that runs parallel to Colorado State University and serves as a gateway to local shops, restaurants and neighborhoods — highlights the importance of accessible, safe and shared public spaces.”

A map and information is available on the city's Open Streets webpage , where you can also sign up to volunteer.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Open Streets festival to take over Shields Street in Fort Collins for a day