World Car Free Day is 22 September 2023 and so the Merseyside community is putting on a weeklong series of events encouraging people to ditch their cars – and embrace fun, friends, family and freedom – by choosing fossil-free ways to get around.

With the help of the Merseyside Cycling Campaign, on Sunday 24 September the week culminates with a free, family friendly festival at Wavertree Mystery Park.

This will include live music and entertainment, stalls and workshops, and ends with an all-ages bike ride to the new urban parklet at Mann Island.

Schedule for the day

• Starts at 9am with the regular junior Parkrun
• At 10am market stalls will open and there’s a Love Wavertree ‘run a mile’ event
• Fun all day with Childwall Emporium on arts and crafts and Living Streets family activities, bike skills sessions for kids, treasure hunts, playground, plus Rainbow Rebels from 2pm and Liverpool Magic Circle member John the Great magician at 3pm
• Free Dr Bike sessions where local bike mechanics will give your bike the once over from 11am to 3pm
• Free bike maintenance workshops with Hollie from Energise Cycles at 12pm and 2pm
• Live music every hour from 11.30am, including Merseyside band Johnathan Kopf (11.30am), Liverpool’s Cheery (12.30pm), Ukulele Club (1.30pm), local solo act Andrew Stride (2.30pm) and Dog Brainz (3.30pm), who have just released their release their second album of “good time northern pop punk”
• Family bike ride leaves on National Cycle Route 56 to the town centre at 4pm – register for the ride by signing up the Aigburth Community Cycling Club here.

The event is being supported by Cycling UK and local councillors.

On the day we’ll have help from Aigburth Community Cycling Club, Cycle Liverpool, GoodGym, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Liverpool John Moors University, Living Streets, LitterClear Volunteer, Love Wavertree, the Merseyside Cycling Campaign, ParkRun, Peloton Liverpool, the Penny Lane Wombles, Plastic Tactics, St John’s Ambulance, Sustrans, Transition Liverpool, Women on Bikes Liverpool, Zero Carbon Liverpool and more.

Even more events

Wednesday 20 September:
Ignite Liverpool is hosting a one-off special of their regular quick-fire talks series, asking people to speak to the theme ‘Merseyside 2030 – Zero Car City?’. Register to speak here. Register to attend here.

Friday 22 September:
Peloton Liverpool will be running a special student ‘Joy Ride’ on World Car Free Day itself, happening this year on 22 September. Sign up the Peloton group here and keep an eye out for details.

St Cuthbert’s primary school is also planning to open a playstreet for the day on Church Road in Old Swan.

Sunday 24 September:
Merseyside CTC will have a ride on Sunday 24 September leaving at 9.45am from Calisa coffee shop, 84 Childwall Priory Rd, Liverpool L16 7PF. It will arrive at the Mystery around 1pm. Full details on the club’s ‘Runs List’ here.

If you know of any more events happening, drop us an email to merseysidecyclingcampaign@hotmail.co.uk.