Cyclovia Spring 2026: A Day of Joyful, Car-Free Streets from Amphi to Downtown
Last Sunday, April 12th, we hosted our 24th Cyclovia, bringing community together around the Downtown to Amphi route for a day of car-free, carefree streets.. This time around, our route went through the neighborhoods of West University, Feldman’s, Sugar Hill, Keeling, and Amphi. We love bringing a route with so many community partners to life for such a special day. Here are some of the highlights from the day!
Photo by Mamta Popat
LSA Downtown Hub
Nestled right next to LSA’s office, our Downtown Hub was bustling with activities, community groups, food and drink, and entertainment. Participants enjoyed beer from Dragoon Brewing and Pueblo Vida at LSA’s beer garden while listening to music being spun by local radio station KXCI. Tucson Roller Collective set up a mini skate course with free tutorials, inviting both kids and adults to give skating a try while Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports offered hands-on experiences with adaptive cycles designed for people of all abilities. The Gloo Factory, Tucson’s premier print shop set up button making stations supporting a range of social causes; Pima County Department of Environmental Quality Clean Air Program showcased their new Climate Action Now website. Transit Cycles kept bikes rolling with on-the-spot repairs and Primo Water kept everyone hydrated all along the route. Sumaj Bolivian Street food, Haus of Brats, Irene’s Ice Cream, and Sip Social provided some tasty eats for the Hub. And several local participating businesses including Exo Coffee, Tap & Bottle, Royal Room, Friday Pilates, Mister Carwash, and Corbett’s added to the vibrancy and sense of connection to the downtown area.
The Historic Y Hub
As the route meandered through West University and near the UofA, The Historic Y brought out an energetic mix of local organizations and performers. AZ Luminaria, Tucson’s local nonprofit newsroom brought a zine and a fun, interactive game to draw folks in, and Tucson’s Department of Transportation and Mobility shared details about the upcoming 6th Ave Protected Bike Lane Project. ICCU connected with community about opening savings account for kids, and Genuine BMX wowed the crowd with kids doing tricks airborne in the middle of the street! The energy stayed high with performances from Lykiska, Bellydance Tucson, 520 Dance Co., and ZUZI! Dance, and the food scene delivered with favorites like Mortz, Herculean Chicken, and Wiki-licious.
Stop at Catalina Park
Councilmember Miranda Schubert and the Ward 6 Office brought the festivities to this family-friendly park with button-making, helmet decorating, and most popular of all, a community spray-down courtesy of Tucson Fire Department.
Doris J. Thompson Park Hub
After cruising north through the Feldman’s neighborhood, the route rolled into our next Hub in the Sugar Hill neighborhood at the Doris J. Thompson Park, and the energy was undeniable. OG Jackie Blu brought out a lineup of various musicians that kept the crowd moving, while BICAS kept things playful with a giant tire toss game perched on a metal saguaro cactus. Tucson Water joined the celebration with free canned sparkling water in its iconic prickly pear flavoring honor of their 125th anniversary! Campfire Cycling offered friendly-faces and free basic bike repair. Visit Tucson teamed up with Tucson Love Letter to celebrate Tucson; and Ensenada Street Food and Smoothie Revolution served up crowd-pleasing favorites that were a big hit.
Pit Stop in Keeling Neighborhood
We placed a special treat of musicians along the way in the Keeling Neighborhood. The residents of Keeling were thrilled to welcome Cyclovia back and hung up their banner from the last time Cyclovia came through. The G’s, C’s, and D’s music collective filled the route with harmonious tunes, while the Saguaro Stompers Clog Dance Company danced in the street, and Sonoran Prevention Works kept it light and fun with a cornhole set up. The Homing Project also invited participants to step inside one of their tiny homes for a closer look.
Amphi Hub @ Building Bridges
At the northernmost part of this route, the Amphi neighborhood brought a meaningful and fun energy to Cyclovia. Marking the gateway of the hub were large, colorful posters lining the route, decorated and installed by the Amphi Women and Girls Union who worked diligently in the weeks and months leading up to Cyclovia to curate the hub and organize neighbors and friends to participate. The display featured flags from various countries represented in the union, along with a welcoming messaging inviting visitors into the Amphi neighborhood.
At the hub, the Building Bridges Community Center, home to the Tucson Refugee Ministry, served as a gathering point, hosting a Global Artisan Market with local vendors from across the globe and Tucson Tenants’ Union added a playful touch with games along the route. DJ Zeytunes kept the momentum going with upbeat sets in part curated by the Amphi Women and Girls Union whose joyous energy motivated everyone to dance in the street. Our longstanding partners included AARP who let participants take a spin on their Plinko for a chance to win a bike; REI who helped so many young children get moving on their bikes by doing repairs, and Project Bike Club raised their confidence level by making a fun skills course. Not to mention, Esperanza Dance Project who gave a moving, soulful performance in the middle of street that was a powerful statement for healing and liberation— what a beautiful form of art to witness in our streets! For those who needed an extra set of wheels, TUGO bike share had free rentals all day, which meant more movement for more people.
Special Thanks to our Volunteers That Make This Event Possible
Cyclovia is only possible because of the tremendous number of volunteer hours contributed by more than 170 volunteers. Volunteering is a meaningful way to support open streets and bring the event to life. Here are some things volunteers have said about why they love being part of Cyclovia:
I get to be playful, helpful, & kind all in one space!
Cyclovia is my favorite Tucson holiday and I love seeing all the smiling faces!
It's an easy and enjoyable way to show your support for the critical work Living Streets Alliance does for Tucson.
It’s awesome to be outdoors with community!
It's Tucson's biggest bike event that celebrates all bodies on bikes. Cyclovia is not competitive and it meets every single rider where they are at and celebrates them all.
Grateful for this Cyclovia, and looking forward to the next time!
It is a joy to bring the community together to transform public space into more than just an avenue for cars, but a place for play, for cultural exchange, for learning, for connecting with our neighbors. In essence, Cyclovia is a powerful reminder of what our city can become when we reimagine healthier, safer, and more enjoyable streets for people. This is only one day, but our work continues year-round as we advocate for more walkable, bikeable, and accessible streets by challenging old patterns and pushing for change. Weare deeply grateful for the community partners who show up to this and every Cyclovia, continuing to demonstrate what it means to engage their own communities and build a broad and joyful movement for better streets for everyone.
We can’t wait to do it again! Keep an eye out for more details. We'd love your feedback and involvement in the Open Streets movement in Tucson. Get in touch if you feel inspired to help make the next Cyclovia events even better.
