The first CicLAmini will be hosted in Watts on May 21. (photo courtesy of CicLavia)

CicLAvia will host CicLAmini, a more pedestrian and neighborhood-oriented experience of a traditional open streets event, on May 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first CicLAmini of 2023 turns a one-mile stretch of Central Ave and 103rd St in the iconic neighborhood of Watts into a public park for the day. The Watts CicLAmini is a slower paced, more casual experience that encourages participants to enjoy this elevated pedestrian-oriented route, welcoming all ages and abilities whether one chooses to walk, jog, skate, run, skateboard, spectate, bike, play or hop on a pedicab. CicLAmini – Watts will feature activities sprinkled along the entire open streets route, including self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts, street games, local business engagements and art and cultural activities for all ages. Bike racks are provided for those who want to take advantage of the walkability of the new CicLAmini.

“We are excited to reimagine the joy of CicLAvia by introducing CicLAminis – a slower-paced variation of the CicLAvia experience that we all know and love. Like all of the previous open streets events we’ve produced, CicLAmini in Watts is about connecting and reconnecting to the communities that make up the city we love,” CicLAvia executive director Romel Pascual said. “CicLAmini – Watts is a celebration of what makes our city special and a celebration of communities and cultures that continue to shape the vibrant story of our city.”

With more than 274 miles of open streets since the beloved CicLAvia began in 2010, the inaugural CicLAmini-Watts is CicLAvia’s 45th event. Free to attend, CicLAvia is always a celebration of our diverse and vibrant communities, and CicLAvia car-free streets connect all of us to the neighborhoods where we live, work, shop, learn and play. As active participants at CicLAvia, we use people-powered mobility to navigate our public streets in a safe and joyful way. Along the way, we shop at our local businesses, we are introduced to cultural and architectural gems, we use our streets as spaces to connect with each other and we do our individual part to make a positive impact on our environment by creating a more sustainable and climate resilient city and region.

With hubs and plenty of activities and programs along the route, the CicLAmini experience will be both fun and engaging for all to enjoy. Hubs are walking zones (bike dismounts) and meeting points along the route and offer additional programming and activities. CicLAmini – Watts will have two hubs, one at each end of the route: Central Ave Hub located at 10925 S. Central Ave (at 109th St.) and the 103rd St. Hub (at Grandee Ave.).

Hubs have family-friendly activities, restrooms, free water refilling stations, free basic bike repair, bike parking and first aid.

Free pedicab rides, sponsored by AARP, are available at each information booth. In addition, there are many local gems, activities and businesses to check out near and along the route – discover them through CicLAmini – Watts’ new Interactive Digital Map at map.proxi.co/#command-center?topic_id=640ba5a24b4867c174586b4b&topic_key=vsKDBcIAmtMzfDcIwZu88lLUnSVAln.