BOSTON (WHDH) - Local artists, food and parades were just some of the festivities filling Roxbury’s Blue Hill Ave on Saturday, as eventgoers braved the humidity and took in the neighborhood during Boston’s second Open Streets celebration of the summer.
Thousands of people came out for the event that spanned 1.2 miles, from Dudley to Warren Street, all while in the middle of a heat wave.
“We deserve joy, we deserve to be out in the streets, we deserve to engage with our neighbors,” said organizer Shana Bryant.
During the City of Boston’s first Open Streets event in July, pedestrians on Jamaica Plain’s Centre Street were able to enjoy a pleasant afternoon while temperatures rested in the low 70’s.
In order to help make sure crowds enjoyed the live music and food planned for the city’s second traffic closing event on Saturday, organizers were hard at work in the morning, trying mitigate the effects of the oppressive heat and humidity.
“We have water trucks deployed along the route, and other resources out to make sure that people are safe,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said. “We have our EMS on-hand, and other public health officials also just monitoring the situation so we want to make sure that everybody has a cool place to duck into.”
Local musicians and poets, a roller rink with a live band, and Caribbean food trucks were among the sights along the promenade.
Saturday’s event was the second of three planned Open Streets events that will close major roadways to vehicles, opening neighborhood roads exclusively for pedestrians to connect with neighbors and local businesses.
“We’re staying very hydrated by drinking lots of water and we also have our little cooling fan out here, we went and got a helmet from the fire department so we could put a little hat on and every once and a while,” said eventgoer Dee Sanchez. “So that’s what we’re trying to do to stay cool out here.”
Snow was probably the last thing on everyone’s minds, but not for one of the booths run by the Museum of Science. Staff put together an experiment for kids that challenged them to build a house that could sustain a simulated avalanche.
“We (tried) to protect the snowboarders from the avalanche,” said Logan Diggs. “And after we just built all of that, and after we put rooves over them so they wouldn’t get hit by any of the avalanche.”
Logan told 7NEWS while he did wish it was a little cooler, he loved getting a chance to learn.
No matter the weather, families told 7NEWS events like Saturday’s help to form stronger communities.
“Togetherness is always the best,” said Nicola Reid. “Everyone comes out, enjoy themselves, it doesn’t matter who you are, you can come out, you meet people: you enjoy yourself!”
One more Open Streets event is slated for the summer in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. The event will hit Dorchester Ave. on Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Freeport Street and Gallivan Blvd.
For more information on Open Streets Boston, head to www.openstreetsboston.org.
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