Five open streets festivals planned for 2011, events will run through every ward in Somerville
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No matter where you live in Somerville, a SomerStreets festival will be taking place near you in the coming months. The immensely popular open streets series is back again in 2011, featuring live music, recreational activities and farmers’ markets.

Miles of roadway will be closed to vehicular traffic and opened up for pedestrians and bicyclists. Thousands turned out for the events last year and the City expects those numbers to increase in 2011.

“After a harsh winter and a chilly spring, people are going to be looking to get out, take advantage of some better weather and get moving,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “SomerStreets will be the perfect way to do it. No matter what age you are or what part of the city you come from there is going to be something for you at SomerStreets.”

The 2011 schedule for the SomerStreets traveling road show is:

• Carnaval – Sunday, June 5 on Broadway from Temple St. through East Somerville
• Seize the Summer – Sunday, July 24 on Highland Ave. from the City Hall Concourse to Cedar St.
• Going Green on Rte. 16 – Sunday, August 21 on Alewife Brook Parkway from Dilboy Field to Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge
• Rolling on the Mystic – Saturday, September 10 on Shore Drive
• Fall Festival – Sunday, October 23 on Somerville Ave. from Union Square to Porter Square

Local businesses and community groups will be taking part in the various events.

“It’s a great opportunity for different areas of the city to show off a little bit,” Curtatone said. “In many cases people discover a great store or restaurant they always passed by too quickly to notice. You experience the city far differently when you’re on foot and you have the time to stop and take notice of the things around you.”

SomerStreets builds on the Shape Up Somerville healthy living initiative. Similar open streets events take place all around the world, providing space normally taken up by automobile traffic for people to be more active. Special attention this year is being paid to providing fresh food at SomerStreets as well.

“People want to eat right and be active,” Curtatone said. “This is an opportunity for them to do both. They can stroll or bike up and down the street and then pick up some fresh food at the farmers’ markets we’ll have running during the events.”

All SomerStreets events will run from 12-4 p.m., rain or shine.