Albert Leans are invited to come together Saturday for a morning set up to promote active living, socialization and community connection.

Called Open Streets Albert Lea, it begins at 10 a.m. and goes until noon.

It will be held in conjunction with the annual family bike safety rodeo — this year at Brookside Education Center from 9 to 11 a.m.

“This is really just a kickoff to summer,” said Albert Lea Public Information Coordinator Teresa Kauffmann. “Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us.”

During open streets events, a street is temporarily closed to vehicle traffic to allow families and neighbors to come together for an afternoon to mingle, have fun and shop in a safe, car-free environment. The main goal is to encourage residents, including people who are not regularly active, to experience their community in a new way — by foot or some other form of nonmotorized transportation.

This year, Bridge Avenue from Fountain Street to Ruble Street will be closed, and there will be giant hula hoops, a bike skills course, Zumba and yoga demonstrations, Kauffmann said. There will also be the kickoff for the 2013 Moais in Motion program and a geocaching presentation. Disc jockey Dave Nelson will provide entertainment, and several of the neighboring businesses will host other activities.

Free archery, canoeing and kayaking will be available at the Brookside Boathouse, and the worksite wellness committee of the National Vitality Center will host a scavenger hunt on the Blue Zones Walkway from Bridge Avenue to Brookside.

Randy Kehr, a member of the National Vitality Center team, said for the hunt people will be able to stop at booths of different businesses along the walkway. People who make it to all of the booths will be entered into a drawing for a gift basket.

Kehr said the business leaders with the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce worksite wellness committee have backed the event as a way to encourage their employees to participate in healthy living.

The open streets project is part of a long-term statewide health improvement initiative through the Center for Prevention with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota to tackle the four leading causes of heart disease and cancer: tobacco use, obesity, lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating.

The event is being hosted by the city of Albert Lea and the National Vitality Center leadership team.

“Blue Cross is proud to support a growing open streets movement in Minnesota, as a way to encourage healthier, more active lifestyles,” said Janelle Waldock, director of the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross, in a news release. “Albert Lea’s open streets event will provide an amazing opportunity for local residents to interact with their neighbors, support local businesses and see their community from a new perspective. We hope everyone will participate and enjoy a morning filled with active fun.”

 

If you go

What: Open Streets Albert Lea

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Bridge Avenue from Fountain Street to Ruble Street

Information: Call 377-4330