Hillcrest to Host 4-Day, Car-Free Community Festival

"Re-Imagine Normal Street" runs Thursday through Sunday

A busy street in Hillcrest will transform into a traffic-free zone this weekend with a four-day festival catered to pedestrians and bicyclists.

The free event – dubbed “Re-Imagine Normal Street” – aims to turn a portion of Normal Street near the Hillcrest Pride flag and University Avenue into a car-free public space best enjoyed on foot.

Organizers say the outdoor community fest will include oversized board games and lawn games, live art, food trucks and an interactive virtual reality booth. SANDAG, through a mini grant program, will fund bike valet services for the four-day affair.

The event kicks off Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with “Pechakucha Night,” where creative community members will share their ideas in 20 images in 20 seconds.

The fun continues Friday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. with family-friendly activities including a “Bike-In Movie” screening of the classic flick, “E.T.”

On Saturday, Hillcrest Brewing Company will host a Craft Beer Crawl from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. followed by a free concert under the stars. The event concludes Sunday with the Hillcrest Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the launch of a crowdfunding campaign to make the idea of the car-free public space on Normal Street a reality.

Contact Us