City of Newton
NEWTON, Kan. — At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Newton City Commission approved a request from the Harvey County Health Department to close several downtown streets on April 28 for a new community Open Streets event.
Healthy Harvey Coalition Coordinator Lorrie Kessler said the idea is to take the street and turn it into a place for people.
“If you think about it, the Taste of Newton is already an Open Streets event, but there’s so much going on in the street that there’s not a place for people to ride their bikes, to roll, to skateboard, to roller skate, to walk, to play,” Kessler said. “The idea is that this would be more open and allow people to congregate and make the street into a park for a while.”
The event is described as a free community-building event to bring together Newtonians of all ages and fitness levels to promote healthy, active living and social engagement. The idea is based on the annual Open Streets ICT event in Wichita.
The street closures will include the 100 blocks of East Fifth and East Sixth, Oak Street between Fifth and Seventh, and the intersection of Broadway and Oak.
The Health Department says the event will provide more than just opportunities for physical exercise – it’s an exercise in building community, cultural identity, and social engagement. The organizers are still working out plans for food trucks, vendors, and entertainment.
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