Youth from the community are proud to announce the ninth Annual Ciclovía Salinas! This event will take place on Sunday, March 20th, 2022 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.  The earlier time frame allows for a speedy transition back to Alisal Street’s usual Sunday vibrancy. Ciclovía 2019 event was a great success with over 6,000 participants and this year we hope to double our attendance! Ciclovía Salinas temporarily opens Alisal Street, extending from Main Street to Sanborn Road, for recreational activity - this temporary transformation will allow residents to utilize the streets and participate in a wide range of physical activities, such as running, walking, biking, zumba, as well as provide free access to a family day filled with hands-on activities and resources for children and adults.

We believe that Salinas is entitled to a safe and inclusive environment that promotes health and unity and Ciclovía Salinas’ purpose is to promote this through 5 key goals, which are to:

1. Change the Narrative/Image of Salinas: Salinas tends to carry a negative connotation or stereotype - we aim to shift that narrative to a positive one that showcases the people, families, culture and more than just the violence we typically hear about.
2. Unite Salinas: Our town is known to be divided between the East and South, as well as by economic status, race, and culture. Through Ciclovía Salinas we want to see our community come together, share and learn from each other, and begin to understand one another for a more cohesive community.
3. Promote Physical Health: Access to affordable preventative health care is a barrier for many people in Salinas, especially our undocumented community - we showcase local health resources and exercise options so our community can engage and learn about how to maintain physical health and live a healthful lifestyle.
4. Stimulate the Local Economy: Our vision is that on the day of Ciclovía, our local businesses are showcased and promoted - which in turn could increase their sales. This is a unique opportunity for local family owned businesses to showcase their products to new markets – when we make the decision to buy local, and not from huge corporations, the money stays local.
5. Develop Leadership Skills in Youth: The inception of an open-street event like Ciclovía Salinas originated from a group of youth interns from Building Healthy Communities back in 2013. They were the ones, with support of BHC, to push the project forward with the City of Salinas as well as plan, promote, and implement it.  We see the internship as an opportunity for youth to develop leadership skills and get civically engaged.

To kick-off the event, beginning at 10:00 am, a 3K Fun Run will take place starting on Sanborn Road intersection. Runners will run from Sanborn to Main Street, so prepare your activities accordingly. Also, all booths will be located in the middle of the road in order to better showcase local businesses, encourage new markets and reduce speed of bike traffic.

The Salinas Ciclovía planning committee would like to invite your organization to have a booth the day of the event. Organizations are encouraged to provide an interactive or physically activity for the community along with their informational booth.  For example, some activities may include: bean bag tossing, jump roping, hula hooping, arts and crafts, face painting, wheel of fortune etc. Please plan on providing your own tent, table and chairs. We ask that you submit your application by Friday, February 25, 2022 to ensure that you are given a space on the route, and so that we can develop the booth map for you all promptly. The location of your booth will be announced a week before the event via email. Your contribution and participation is an investment in the continued improvement of the health and overall well-being of our community.