Join us at the first Car-Free Sunday of the year for a fun-filled morning
Car-Free Sunday SG will be back this Sunday, 28 January for a third run - proudly supported by a growing group of passionate corporate and community partners under the Friends of Car-Free Sunday SG Network. Kicking off the first Car-Free Sunday of the year, the Civic District and Telok Ayer Conservation Area will again be transformed into a car-free and activity-filled precinct for everyone to enjoy. From 8am to noon, with 5.5km of roads closed to traffic, the public can walk, jog, and cycle around the area and participate in an exciting range of outdoor activities, such as line dancing, hula hoop clinics, floorball and Zumba. There will also be a number of cultural activities and walking tours to take part in. Soak in the festive atmosphere at Telok Ayer Conservation Area
With the Lunar New Year just round the corner, the Telok Ayer Conservation Area will host a series of festive activities. There will be interactive puppet shows by the Geyi Puppet Troupe where folktales will be told through puppetry. Adults and children alike will have the opportunity to try their hands with the puppets and go backstage to see what goes on behind the scene. Ms Doreen Tan, founder of Geyi Puppet Troupe explained, “We have a collection of puppets which we use for our traditional puppet shows. They are made of wood and clothed in colourful costumes. This Sunday, the audience will not only get to watch the performances but also touch and feel, and see the puppets up close. They can go on stage and see how the puppeteers manipulate the string puppets too.”
Adding to the ambience will be heart-thumping lion dance performances by the Singapore Hok San Association along Telok Ayer Street. The public will also get the opportunity to participate by playing the drums or learning some lion dance moves. For the heritage buffs, there will be plenty to choose from, such as the Heritage Tours, where the public can learn about the historical significance of the Telok Ayer conservation area, including guided tours around the Thian Hock Keng Temple. The Singapore Yu Huang Gong and the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre will also be open for visits.
Follow the Car-Free Sunday SG Trail and have plenty of outdoor fun Participants at this Car-Free Sunday will be able to download a special app to help guide them through an array of exciting activities. The LocoMole mobile app for the Car-Free Sunday SG Trail will help the public discover the history and little known stories about our Civic District and the Telok Ayer Conservation Area as they walk or cycle around the precinct. Just download the free app and follow the trail which will highlight points of interests and fun activities along the car-free route. Bike-sharing firm ofo, a key corporate sponsor under the recently formed Friends of Car-Free Sunday SG Network, will be present this Sunday and they will be offering 100 free bicycle for the public to use on a first-come, first-served basis. Trishaw rides will also continue to be available to cater to the less mobile and the elderly allowing them to enjoy the car-free route and some of Singapore’s iconic landmarks. Volunteers from the cycling groups will be on hand to provide the rides. Making a repeat appearance will be the bamboo-framed bicycle which was specially built by Mr Woon Taiwoon, co-founder of Love Cycling SG, and his cycling group. He said, “We have been supporting this event since the start. It is a meaningful initiative. We have seen many people coming to run, skate and cycle at the Car Free Sunday events. It is nice and I love it. We created the ‘Bamboo Kar’ to show how much space a car takes. Imagine if the road space is used optimally, this would encourage people to come out and enjoy their streets more.” Over at Connaught Drive, families and friends can tuck in a hearty morning breakfast at the breakfast bazaar. Joining Car-Free Sunday SG for the first time is Wheeler’s Yard, which will be showcasing a Vintage Bike Display of rare and unique bicycles. Kids can look forward to a fun-filled morning at the Grand Stories booth where a bouncy castle, a photo booth and more await. They can also invent their own playgrounds with giant building blocks at the Kids Imagination Playground. Meanwhile, families and friends can bond over artworks and exhibitions at the National Gallery Singapore and Asian Civilisations Museum. Mr Lim Eng Hwee, Chief Executive Officer of Urban Redevelopment Authority said, “This is the third run of Car-Free Sunday SG since it was first introduced in 2016. I am encouraged to see continued active involvement from the community. It has provided an opportunity for everyone, young and old, to experience the city in a different way. This is possible only with the continued support of our community partners and supporters and I hope to see more people joining in to make future editions even more exciting.” For a detailed listing of all activities lined up this Sunday, please refer to Annex A. For the road closure map and hours, please see to Annex B. Members of the public are encouraged to take public transport or cycle to the venue. Please refer to Annex C for cycling access points to the Padang. Keep the date The subsequent editions of Car-Free Sunday SG will be held in March, May, July, October and December 2018. More details will be shared closer to each edition. Remember to mark your calendar! Friends of Car-Free Sunday SG Network The Friends of Car-Free Sunday SG Network, comprising community and corporate partners, was formed to acknowledge their contributions to Car-Free Sunday SG. It is also a platform for more individuals as well as community and corporate groups to join and support the movement to activate the streets and create a vibrant car-lite experience for everyone to enjoy. For more information on how to join the Friends of Car-Free Sunday SG Network, please visit http://ura.sg/carfreesundaysg Car-Free Sunday SG is a community initiative by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Parks Board (NParks), National Arts Council (NAC), Health Promotion Board (HPB), Sport Singapore (SportSG) and Singapore Land Authority (SLA), supported by a host of community and interest groups to promote the car-lite message and enliven the streets. Get updates on Car-Free Sunday SG activities and details at https://www.facebook.com/carfreesundaysg/. If you are a participant at the event, do share your photos with us. Find out more here. #CarFreeSundaySG