15 photos of Car Free Day Vancouver on Main Street | Daily Hive

Thousands of Vancouverites took to the streets on Sunday for Car Free Day, which has for the past 11 years shut down traffic in the hopes of getting people out of their cars and fostering a community atmosphere. Main Street’s Car Free Day was packed, along with a variety of vendors peddling wares from jewelry and clothing to homemade ice pops and antiques. With an emphasis on local fare, it was really a celebration of Vancouver and all it has to offer.

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There’s something magical about being able to walk down the centre of a usually busy street, to pop in and out of vendors’ booths, and to listen to some good live tunes without the rumble of vehicles as constant background noise. The sunny weather didn’t hurt either.

Car Free Day is entirely volunteer-run, and with 60 per cent of their budget going to pay for policing and other costs, it’s in danger of shutting down. On Sunday, you saw families, couples and friends, young and old, hanging out together at one big community party. There were patios spilling out onto the street and people taking the time to stop, sit and and listen to live performances.

Here’s hoping Car Free Day will stick around for another 11 years to come!