This Father’s Day 100,000 – yes, that’s 100,000 people! – descended on Main Street to celebrate Main Street Car Free Day 2012 with friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, and strangers
– and wow, what a sight it was!
Looking down the street – amidst the amazing calm of a Main Street devoid of traffic noise –streams of people and pets merrily strolled down the street enjoying the refreshing atmosphere of the Festival – an annual Vancouver tradition that closes down Main Street from 12th Avenue to 28th Avenue so locals and tourists can stroll at their leisure, dance salsa in the streets, colour our road ways with sidewalk chalk, roller disco on the roadways, and participate in knit-ins, and visit an amazing variety of community and vendor booths.
Father’s Day makes an excellent backdrop for Main Street Car Free Day 2012. The festival is family-friendly and has something for everyone with tons of free goodies to look forward to like the free toy and popcorn from the MPBIA as well as excellent special event deals from MPBIA member businesses. This is a festival not to be missed (and we are of course very sorry if you did)!
The MPBIA-Beaumont Studio Stage brought great music to the streets, including our own DJ Eclectik, and the owner of Mt. Pleasant Optometry, as well as Eli the Magician and Salsa Dancing by Mas Movement. There was an ever-so-cool grass area for kids and adults to whip out a hoola hoop – or some groovy dance moves – and do their thing! The combined Car Free Day Festivals on Main Street, Commercial Drive, the West End, and Kitsilano, make it collectively the second biggest festival in Vancouver – next only to the Festival of Lights.
The ultimate highlight to note? Car Free Day is a completely volunteer run festival. The buzzing hive that Main Street becomes is due to the coordination and dedication of wonderful volunteers. Our thanks and congratulations on a job well done to Matt and his crew at Car Free Vancouver!
