Three-year-old Daniel Powers galloped his stick horse down the middle of the road. Eight-year-old Dakota Knight jump roped 26 times without stopping. And their parents weren’t worried about the usual hustle and bustle of 19th Street in the Heights.
“Amazing, because normally there’s cars out there,” Knight said of playing in the road.
Families enjoyed the sunny weather and car-free street at this year’s kickoff Cigna Sunday Streets. In its fifth year, the city of Houston event shuts down streets to provide an opportunity for families to be active and support small businesses they may overlook from the confines of a vehicle.
The first event was in the Heights. It next will move to the Third Ward on Emancipation Avenue, near the new Emancipation Park, on April 22, and then it will be held May 20 on Westheimer Road in Montrose.
In the fall, Cigna Sunday Streets will stop at three new communities: Near North Side in October, Rice Village in November and Kingwood in December. Cigna has agreed to be the title sponsor for another three years.
“Every Sunday Streets is different than every other one,” said Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen. “They’re unique to the communities they’re at.”
Chelsea Longoria rode a bike as her two sons, Justin, 13, and Braden, 10, rollerbladed. She enjoys visiting the different neighborhoods and not worrying about traffic. Justin likes the food. At one of last year’s events, he recalled a mini pizza. He was enjoying a popsicle on Sunday.
“We go to every single one,” Longoria said.
Julie Caplinger and her husband Kim Macdonald gained a new perspective of Houston after attending Cigna Sunday Streets on Washington Avenue this past fall. They had just moved from Austin and, before attending the event, thought Houston was all about cars and didn’t want pedestrians or cyclists.
Macdonald joined BikeHouston at last year’s event and gained a new appreciation for the city.
“I just think they need to do more of it,” he said. “You see people relate to each other differently when they’re not in a huge SUV.”
Melissa Powers, whose son was galloping down the street on a stick horse purchased at Big Blue Whale on 19th Street, agreed.
“It’s a nice way to see the city,” she said. “It’s a cool way to interact with our neighbors and do some local shopping.”
The event brings a new group of people to Jubilee, a boutique selling apparel, accessories and home decor. It has been on 19th Street in various locations for the past 22 years.
In turn, the store provided these new customers with a keg of Miller Lite and rock funk band Lords of Kool.
And for those too busy with the exercise portion of the event – Operation Get Fit was leading line dancing and strength training – Sunday Streets could entice them to return to 19th Street.
“People might not be in a business today,” said Alli Jarrett, owner of Harold’s Restaurant, “but they’re noticing a business.”