SAN ANTONIO — Hundreds of bikers, skateboarders and walkers packed the streets of Southtown in San Antonio Sunday for the 19th Síclovía event.
The YMCA of Greater San Antonio hosted the family-friendly event in partnership with H-E-B, University Health, WellMed, and Lela Pharmacy.
The last Síclovía was held in September, more than a year after the pandemic changed the lives of everyone in some way. Síclovía is rooted in South America and has been a bi-annual event in the Alamo City for the decade.
“It’s just a good way for everyone to engage with one another, get active, we’ve got Zumba, we’ve got lots of fun stuff to do,” said Shannon Gowen, senior director of Mission Advancement and Communications.
Yvonne Gutierrez and her two daughters were among the hundreds of people biking down the temporarily closed off streets.
They also snacked on free paletas and fruit offered by H-E-B while enjoying the sunny day.
“We come to Síclovía every year, it’s twice a year. We like it because they close down the street and you get to really socialize with a lot of people in San Antonio that you don’t ever see,” Gutierrez said.
From biking to skateboarding to simply walking, Síclovía is designed to be a family-friendly event to promote a healthy lifestyle.
“You get to give your kids a little bit of freedom to ride their bikes on their own so it’s nice, it’s definitely safe,” Gutierrez said.
Metro Health indicates the COVID-19 risk level is low in Bexar County. Currently, 70% of the total population is fully-vaccinated against coronavirus.
Beyond the biking, socializing and eating, the Síclovía event provided opportunities for people to check their blood pressure and receive their COVID vaccines, which was made possible due to an outreach grant.
To learn more about Síclovía, click here.