Popular Missoula Street Will be Blocked Off to Car Traffic Soon

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On Sunday, August 20, downtown Missoula will be ‘people powered’ and car-free to celebrate Sunday Streets Missoula from noon till 4:00 p.m.

KGVO News spoke to Katherine Auge, Program Specialist for Missoula in Motion on Tuesday afternoon about the program that will occur a week from this Sunday.

Sunday Streets Missoula Returns to Higgins on August 20

“Yeah, we're really excited,” began Auge. “We are hosting Sunday Streets on August 20th from noon to 4:00 p.m. and this year we are bringing it back to downtown Missoula for the first time since 2019. We're really excited to celebrate the Beartracks Bridge improvements, so we'll be shutting down the street to cars from all the way from the ‘X’s” to Fifth Street, and we'll have a ton of free activities for all ages and abilities.”

Due to bridge construction, Auge said Sunday Streets has been a traveling celebration for the past few years.

“We have been rotating it among different neighborhoods for the last four years and we're going to continue to do that, but we're excited to highlight downtown again this year,” she said. “Last year we were in the Lewis and Clark neighborhood and we've been in the Franklin to the Fort neighborhood, so we're kind of rotating it around different neighborhoods within Missoula.”

Higgins from the X's to 5th Street will be Closed from Noon to 4:00 p.m. August 20

Auge counted off just some of the activities that will be available on Sunday, August 20.

“We've got everything from Street Curling to arts and crafts for kids, guitar lessons, and skateboarding,” she said. “A lot of the downtown businesses will just be setting up tables in the street and things like that. We've got dance groups, the Clay Studio is coming out and we’ll be doing arts and crafts as well.”

There will be Ample Signage for the Street Closures on August 20th

Auge said there will be live music, as well as a great deal of signage to let attendees know that Higgins will be closed to vehicles from noon until 4:00 p.m. on the 20^th.

“Yes we have Sandman, the Rapping Cowboy who's really fun he's coming out with his band and he'll be there all day as well,” she said. “If you do drive, both of the parking garages should be easily accessible and it is very well signed. We'll have volunteers at each of the street closure barriers just helping the public navigate the streets closures if needed.”

A press release from the City of Missoula states ‘Sunday Streets Missoula builds on a long tradition of using our streets for public activities.

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