This first Friday of September is going to be one of the busiest Downtown Bend has seen lately. Not only is it the monthly First Friday—with galleries and businesses open late for the Art Walk (and also featuring live music and free refreshments) from 5 until 9—but the Little Woody is taking place at the Des Chutes Historical Museum from 5 until 10, and the streets will be closed all day (from 8am until 8pm) for the USA Masters Cycling National Championships Criterium.

The Criterium alone is supposed to have over 800 competitors involved (not even counting the spectators who will be downtown just for this event) and both Wall Street and Bond Street are going to be closed from Greenwood to Idaho (where the Museum is), plus the cross-streets in between.

With the streets closed, traffic and parking will be even more hectic than usual, and while that might make moving around downtown on foot easier, keep in mind that there will be potentially hundreds of cyclists tearing through the streets at any given time. I’m sure it will be a fun evening—how could it not be, right?—but all the same it’s going to be crazy busy so remember to be safe and patient.