Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas! Second Annual Event

Sunday, March 29th, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Registration is now open for activity providers, performers, and booths

Santa Maria residents will have another chance to experience the magic on Main Street at the second annual Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas! event taking place from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, 2020, located on one mile of Main Street from Broadway to Blosser Road. The event is coordinated by Traffic Solutions, a division of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, and offers a huge array of safe and healthy recreation for all ages while celebrating community, art, and local businesses. Over 20,000 people attended last year. Business and non-profit organizations, activity providers, and performers are encouraged to register to participate in Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas!, registration closes on February 28, 2020.

Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas! is free to the public and helps to celebrate Santa Maria’s downtown West Main Street district, with its popular restaurants and unique businesses. “This is the only time Main Street is open in this way,” explains Carlos Escobedo, Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas! Coordinator. “It’s inspiring to see the Santa Maria community come together for this community-spirited, family-friendly event.”

Larger numbers of small businesses on West Main Street are expected to participate in the event, and registration fees will be waived for those businesses that wish to have a booth at the event as well. Roger Galvan, the owner of Xtreme Electronics was excited to see that Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas! event is returning to West Main Street, “the Santa Maria Open Streets event brought thousands of people walking in front of my business, that is one of the best things that can happen to a small business like ours,” said Galvan.

At Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas! the public can expect a wide range of activities that showcase the wellness and fitness offerings in Santa Maria, including dance, martial arts, Zumba, yoga, a climbing wall, a bike safety rodeo for kids, street hockey, fútbol, lawn games, a BMX bike show, and much more. The community annual health fair will also be hosted at the event, offering free medical screenings, wellness community resources, and a mini farmers market. Since this event is taking place on Cesar Chavez Day, there will be a culmination of cultural activities and performances, live music, and social justice causes that celebrate the Latino and Mixtec communities in Santa Maria. A sustainability expo and arts and crafts zone will also be part of the event.

Santa Maria Open Streets ¡Calles Vivas! encourages getting involved, whether participating as part of a community organization, a fitness professional, or to share a fun, family-friendly activity with the community. There will be no registration charge for those interested in offering an interactive activity or for a business located along the event route. A discounted registration rate is offered to non-profit organizations who register for a booth space, the fee is only $50. For-profit businesses are also encouraged to apply and will be evaluated based on a connection with the event theme, the standard booth registration fee is $100 (information only, no product sales will be permitted). Those interested in registering to participate are encouraged to by February 28, 2020, via the Santa Maria Open Streets website.

Those interested in volunteering for Santa Maria Open Streets, ¡Calles Vivas! are also encouraged to sign up online. It takes a village to make the event a success. Hundreds of helping hands are needed for tasks ranging from staffing an information booth to assisting with setup and breakdown.

For more information visit www.SantaMariaOpenStreets.org, follow Open Streets events on Facebook @SantaBarbaraOpenStreets and Instagram @SBOpenStreets and #SantaMariaOpenStreets.