Free Open Streets event to feature live music, family-friendly activities, food, and more

Celebrate the season at “Seize the Summer,” the August installment of the City’s SomerStreets festival, on Sunday, Aug. 9, from noon to 4 p.m. between School St. and Lowell St. on Highland Ave. SomerStreets is the City of Somerville’s take on the internationally renowned Open Streets concept, closing busy city streets to vehicles, and opening them up for cycling, walking, dancing, running, and other modes of activity. Through SomerStreets, the City and its community partners aim to promote and encourage easy access to physical activity, fresh foods, and reconnecting with neighborhoods and businesses and their unique cultural elements in a thriving urban environment.

Activities along Highland Ave. will include:

• Live music including the Somerville Ukelele Club, School of HONK, and The Undercovers;
• Explore a fire truck or ambulance;
• Hockey, football, and other kids’ activities;
• Skateboarding performance and free skate – bring your skateboards!;
• Drills with semi-pro Somerville Rampage Football;
• Craft vendors, and community vendors;
• Local restaurants and food vendors including Scoopsies ice cream;
• Craft activities on the MUSCRAT bus;
• And more!

To ensure public safety at the event, the following road closures and parking bans will be in effect.

• Highland Ave. (School St. to Lowell St.): Closed to all vehicular traffic 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; no parking 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Belmont St. (Summer St. to Highland Ave.), Spring Hill Terr., and Sycamore (Highland Ave. to Madison St.) will become two way streets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to allow access for abutters.
• MBTA buses will be rerouted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For locations of rerouted bus stops, visit MBTA.com.

All SomerStreets events will run from noon to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

Remaining 2015 events include:

• Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets: , Sept. 20, Holland Ave.
• Monster Mashed-Up @ SomerStreets: , Oct. 18, Somerville Ave.

For more information, visit www.somervillema.gov, or www.somervilleartscouncil.org.