Giant Chess and Velcro People: First Look at All the Stuff Going on Along Sunday's 10-Mile-Long CicLAvia

The route for this Sunday's CicLAvia was officially announced at Union Station yesterday morning (it's just slightly different than the last version unveiled in August). LA's favorite giant block party/temporary linear park is mixing it up for its third edition, with ten miles of street closures (up from seven and a half), running from East Hollywood through Downtown and into Boyle Heights. As the organizers point out, the route is about the same length as the stretch of the 405 that was shut down during Carmageddon. Of course, unlike Carmageddon, everyone will be able to hang out on the closed roads, so go nuts playing a boardgame, skateboarding, or enjoying a (legal) fancy dinner. In addition to the longer route, there'll also be many organized activities and happenings along the way, including 13 programs funded by CicLAvia mini-grants. Highlights include:

--Oversized street chess, with a nine foot square board and two to three foot high pieces, in the Arts District
--A Spring Street Promenade with roundabouts at First and Seventh. Meet there for walking tours around the Historic Core.
--Boyle Heights and Little Tokyo walking tours
--A bunny rest stop in Boyle Heights with giant bunnies and music
--Balinese Gamelan in Westlake
--A sound forest interactive sound installation Downtown
--Something called "10 Mile Bodies," in which "Participants move through the Fashion District, connecting to one another with Velcro, zippers, buttons, and string."
--A photobooth on wheels traveling throughout

There will also be hubs in every neighborhood, providing water, restrooms, first aid, info, and "culinary delights." Here's the full map: