Take a relaxing stroll down car-free streets, let the children unleash their creativity by exploring and creating their own playgrounds, and get your beloved pet micro-chipped for free.

Car-Free Weekend will kick off with road closures at Telok Ayer conservation area during lunchtime on Friday, 25 October. This will be followed by additional road closures in parts of the Civic District on Saturday evening, and the full 5.5km-long car-free route from Civic District to Central Business District and Telok Ayer conservation area on Sunday morning.

Mr Lim Eng Hwee, Chief Executive Officer of Urban Redevelopment Authority said: “With the help of our network of partners, we have pulled together an exciting calendar of events for the October edition of Car-Free Weekend. There is something for everyone, so do come and join us for this happy event. We hope that this initiative will encourage visitors to better appreciate how going car-lite can lead to a more vibrant and liveable city.”

25 October: Stroll down memory lane and learn about craft and heritage in Telok Ayer

Telok Ayer Street and Amoy Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 11am to 3pm next Friday to allow people to enjoy vibrant car-free streets. The public can interact with local artisans as they transform old rattan chairs into upcycled furniture creations at ‘The Rattan Chair Upcycling Project’ at Amoy Street. There will also be guided tours at Thian Hock Keng temple, and Singapore Yu Huang Gong will be open for visits.

The lunchtime crowd can also learn about Chinese architectural influences in Singapore at a bilingual exhibition along the covered walkway at 137 Telok Ayer Street titled ‘Hokkien Architecture: From Thian Hock Keng to Lim Loh House’, and enjoy tunes by local musicians as they stroll down the street.

26 October: Go local on a Saturday evening with something for everyone

From 5pm to 10.30pm on Saturday, parts of the Civic District (including Connaught Drive and a section of Fullerton Road) and Telok Ayer conservation area (McCallum Street, Amoy Street, Boon Tat Street, Telok Ayer Street and Stanley Street) will be closed to vehicular traffic, and open to a whole lot of fun!

Parks Festival, organised by National Parks Board (NParks), will be back at the Civic District with activities spanning Esplanade Park, Connaught Drive, and Empress Lawn. Visitors can party the night away at ‘NParks Concert Series in the Park: Rockestra®’ featuring hits from the 2000s by local acts Enigma, SuperSonic, The Common People, Jive Talkin’, and The Jukeleles. There will also be a Kids’ Play Zone with an outdoor ball pit, inflatable play area, and the ActiveSG Imagination Playground, an unstructured play area for children.  Find out more at www.nparks.gov.sg/parksfestival.

Pets are also welcome. There is a section for free pet health checks and microchipping services conducted by Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), the Animal Welfare Groups Adoption Drive, Petzmania programme for children aged 7-12 to learn basic pet care, as well as an obstacle course for dogs to build agility. For some retail therapy, make a beeline for the 120 booths lining the waterfront promenade at Queen Elizabeth Walk. Set up by NParks, the retail stretch sells products such as plants, arts and craft pieces, and sweet treats for pets.

In the mood for Halloween? Get spooked at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) with the one-night only ‘ACM After Dark 2019: Tales From Beyond’, featuring chilling performances and paranormal panellist talks. Or join in on the first-ever, adults-only immersive experiential storytelling in the dark.

Visitors can also watch vintage film clips and pore over old maps in a heritage tour led by contemporary video artist Toh Hun Ping, starting at Victoria Theatre; or have the kids pick up some mean football skills at a football clinic at the Singapore Cricket Club.

The public can also head down to Telok Ayer conservation area for ‘Local Heroes at Telok Ayer – Food and Art Market’, a celebration of our everyday local heroes including hawkers, artists, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs. Dine on local foods with a twist, visit an arts market featuring local handicrafts from clay jewellery to natural soaps, or join a craft workshop to create your own Merlion plush toy and customised Peranakan tiles.

Those who want a break from walking can make a pit stop at Singapore Yu Huang Gong to drink tea with the Abbot, enjoy a traditional Yangge performance at Telok Ayer Square, or catch an outdoor film screening at the junction of Stanley Street and Boon Tat Street.

Venture further down Telok Ayer Street to enjoy a performance by young talents from Singapore Polytechnic, head over to Amoy Street to try a hand at old school games like chapteh and hopscotch, or hop onto a trishaw to take a ride down memory lane.

Those looking to spice up their day can visit the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre to view the ‘Longest Spice Line’, the centre’s attempt at clinching a spot in the Singapore Book of Records. To learn more about the spice trade, visitors can also join a free guided tour of the centre’s new spice gallery.

27 October: Celebrate the joys of cycling, shop at a free market, and rediscover Singapore at the family-friendly Car-Free Sunday SG

Car-Free Weekend will stretch into Sunday morning from 8am to 12pm, with a 5.5km-long car-free route from the Civic District to the Central Business District and Telok Ayer conservation area.

At the Move Happy Cycling Festival, organised by the Land Transport Authority, cyclists can participate in a 5km Heritage Hunt, play cycling-themed games at a carnival, test their mettle at challenging circuits, or introduce their children to cycling at a kids’ balance bike try-out zone. Shared bicycles are also available for rental with special offers from their respective operators. Find out more at https://facebook.com/MoveHappySG. 

Or visitors could kick-off their morning with the Civic District Tree Trail, which starts at the entrance of the Raffles Landing. Organised by NParks, the 3km-long trail leads participants through Singapore’s historic Civic District, allowing them to explore and learn about various trees along the way. Then, relax with a music performance at the Victoria Concert Hall Atriums.

Those who miss out on the fun at the Parks Festival on Saturday evening can make up for it on Sunday as the family-friendly and pet-friendly activities continue.

Visitors can also head over to Telok Ayer to learn about the history of Siang Cho Keong temple, or join the Pioneer Trail to learn about the trade and ways of life of Singapore’s early immigrants. They can also pop by the Singapore Really Really Free Market, create a keychain, or discover fun facts about wildlife through an interactive string-weaving activity at Telok Ayer Street.

Please refer to the Annex A [PDF, 811kb], Annex B [PDF, 1.1MB] and Annex C [PDF, 1MB] for the road closure information, maps and a detailed listing of all activities lined up for the weekend from 25 to 27 October. Members of the public are encouraged to take public transport or cycle to the venue. Please refer to Annex D [PDF, 1MB] for cycling access points to the Padang on Sunday.

About Car-Free Sunday SG / Car-Free Weekend

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 community and interest groups to promote the car-lite message and enliven the streets. Car-Free Weekend is an extension of the Car-Free Sunday SG initiative which sees the event being extended over multiple days.

Get updates on Car-Free Sunday SG and Car-Free Weekend 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 about the event here.

#CarFreeSundaySG #CarFreeWeekend