Viva CallesSJ is taking place for the second year on Sunday, September 18, 2016 from 10 am to 3 pm. This is an event that transforms our city’s streets into a fun and safe place by closing miles of San Jose’s streets for people to walk, bike, skate, or dance.

It is inspired by a movement encouraging people to replace daily car trips. The purpose of this event is to engage the beautiful and diverse communities of San Jose and its surroundings, to enjoy and explore the city streets, and to allow people an opportunity to get some good exercise.

It’s a free event for participants of all ages, and it doesn’t matter if people don’t have bicycles. They can still enjoy the festivities, and there will be a lot of fun games for everyone to play on the streets—but be careful and look both ways because there will be a lot of skateboarders and bicyclists in the way.

The route will go through Japantown, Burbank, Willow Glen, and Downtown San Jose. Consider these tips for a better experience: taking public transportation and finding parking will be difficult to find in the areas around the route, so it is more convenient to walk, which saves time and avoids the hassle of large crowds; it will also be a lot better to get there early to enjoy it all.

Last year, more than 86 percent of people that attended were residents, so there were approximately 35,000 residents who got involved. This means that neighbors or residents strengthened the relationships between each other and that’s what this event wants to achieve. San Jose is not the only city where this kind of program is taking place. From around the world Los Angeles, Portland, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Bogota, Colombia have also joined.

This year will be amazing, so please don’t miss this event! It is the best way to enjoy a Sunday with family and friends, before starting a new week full of homework for students and work for adults, so go out and have fun!!