NEW YORK, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Rain did not stop New Yorkers from enjoying nearly seven miles (11 kilometers) of the Big Apple's streets that were off-limits to cars on Saturday.

The rain made for a wet first day of the Summer Streets Festival in which Manhattan's Park Avenue between City Hall Park and East 72nd Street at Central Park were shut down and open for people to play, run, walk, and bike.

The program offers family fun and free activities including zip lines, pop up performances, food, and more. It will continue for the next two Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Summer Streets Festival, a project of the New York City Department of Transportation, started in 2008 encouraging New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. Last year, more than 300,000 people attended the festival.