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World Car Free Day brought residents to four Tampa locations on Saturday, Sept. 26. Walk Bike Tampa organized the celebration with local partners, including onbikes and Sidewalk Stompers.
In downtown, people walked, jogged, and biked along the waterfront while music played near the Tampa Museum of Art and Glazer Children’s Museum.
Four locations, many ways to travel
The celebration included stops in Westshore, Midtown Tampa, downtown at Meacham Urban Farm, and Ybor City. A 5.3-mile bike route connected Midtown, downtown, and Ybor City.
At Gasparilla Plaza near Poe Garage, riders of different ages gathered for the family-friendly Kidical Mass ride. Meanwhile, adults outnumbered children. A DJ played music from a trike as people talked and had fun before setting off.
Volunteers and participants gather on Cass Street during Tampa’s World Car Free Day celebration. Photo by Daria Mironova/WMNF News
Marissa Schwartz, CEO of onbikes, said planning the route changed how she saw Tampa’s streets. “As we were riding and mapping out the routes, I realized how bikeable it is,” she said.
Schwartz said people could make everyday trips, including errands, by bike. She hoped the event would encourage more people to get outside and explore the city.
Marissa Schwartz of onbikes and a DJ set the mood before the World Car Free Day bike ride in downtown Tampa. Photo by Daria Mironova/WMNF News.
Matt Ferreira, a University of South Florida electrical engineering student who volunteered at the event, said he walks, bikes, and drives. “I do it all,” he said. But he wants streets where people have more chances to meet. “Everyone is in their cars, and they don’t really ever socialize.” He believes making room for walking and biking would give neighbors more opportunities to talk.
A busy Saturday downtown
For Emily Hinsdale, president of Sidewalk Stompers, the ride was one way to bring people together. “We walk, we bike, we run, we roller skate, we rollerblade,” she said.
“This is something that we’re doing together as a community to enjoy our city,” Hinsdale said.
Cyclists of all ages ride through downtown Tampa during the World Car Free Day celebration on Sept. 26, 2026. Photo by Daria Mironova/WMNF News.
Families had another reason to visit the waterfront that morning. Nearby at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Glazer Children’s Museum held its 16th birthday bash, a separate event with many activities for children.
WMNF volunteers, including Pamela D. Robinson, staffed a booth at the park. Robinson said the station brought a portable mixing system so children could hear how they would sound on the radio.
“They learn a little bit about the behind-the-scenes part of music and radio,” Robinson said. “That’s why we are here.”
WMNF volunteers in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Sept. 26, 2026. Photo by Daria Mironova/WMNF News.
Bike rides, walks, and the museum’s birthday celebration gave families and neighbors plenty of ways to enjoy downtown Tampa together.