4th annual Westside Stride celebrates community with takeover of Howell Mill Road this Sunday

This weekend is about Westside pride with the fourth annual Westside Stride Block Party taking over the streets.

Organizers for Sunday's event say it's all about building community.

"It's about recognizing our local businesses, the amazing food and beverage, the great retailers that we have here, but it's also about recognizing that we all need great and safe infrastructure to be able to move through a place and enjoy a place," said Adeline Collot, the capital projects and programming director for the Upper Westside CID.

Westside Stride makes it possible for people to freely enjoy the area by closing nearly a mile of Howell Mill Road to cars and opening it for people to bike or walk.

Collot hopes people come to see what's new on Howell Mill, including new bike lanes.

"We now have medians, we have new bike lanes, there's new ways to get to the event by bike," Collot said. "I biked here from Midtown straight down 14th Street on the protected cycle track, and now we have new protected cycle track on West Marietta too."

On top of recognizing the need for pedestrian- and bike-friendly infrastructure, the event also highlights the Upper Westside's businesses.

"This area has so many great retailers and great new restaurants, and this event really helps elevate them, help place them on the map so that folks that are either from this area or not quite from the Upper Westside, our adjacent neighborhoods, can come and discover them," Collot said.

The event is rain or shine on Sunday. Collot said they are expecting around 20,000 people to attend.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Howell Mill will be closed from 17th Street to 8th Street. The event runs from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.