By Tipheret Peña / Murphy News Service 

Lowry Avenue North will host the eighth and final Open Streets Minneapolis event of the season on Saturday, Sept. 26 from noon to 6 p.m.

The free event will allow residents of the city to walk, bike, skate and shop freely on the street without having to worry about the presence of motorized traffic.

Open Streets Minneapolis promote healthy living, local businesses, sustainable transportation and civic pride throughout the city. The events are designed to support environmentally-friendly modes of transportation such as walking, biking and public transit and encourage active, health lifestyles.

This year, Open Streets Minneapolis events have provided people the opportunity to explore streets such as Nicollet Avenue, the University of Minnesota and Lyndale Avenue without motor vehicle traffic.

The first Open Streets event in the Twin Cities took place on Lyndale Avenue South five years ago and attracted more than 5,000 participants. The number of events has continued to grow each year and are largely successful, attracting tens of thousands of pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders and wheelchair users annually.

The events have a number of financial sponsors which include the City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition and the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. In addition, the events are often supported by neighborhood associations, as well as local vendors and programmers.

Saturday’s event is co-hosted by the Lowry Corridor Business Association and is open to everyone.

More information on the event can be found on Open Street Minneapolis’ website at www.openstreetsmpls.com.

Tipheret Peña is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.