05/31/2026
🚧“Does anyone know why Central Avenue is closed?”
Summer finally appears to be here to stay, and the warm, sunny weather has us thinking ahead to one of the Village's longest-standing traditions.
This year marks the 49th Annual Bob Giza 10K Race, hosted by the Depew-Lancaster Boys & Girls Club. For nearly FIVE decades, thousands of runners, volunteers, spectators, and public safety personnel have come together on the morning of July 4th for this community event.
And for nearly FIVE decades, Central Avenue between Broadway and Pleasant View, along with the streets feeding into the race route, have been closed to traffic during the event.
Yet every year, despite reminder posts, signs, barricades, and years of tradition, we are met with residents and motorists who are surprised- and sometimes very upset - to discover they cannot drive through the race course.
So, in an effort to help everyone plan ahead, we're starting our reminders REALLY EARLY this year.
Due to ongoing road construction throughout portions of the Town, some traffic patterns and side street access may be different than in years past. However, motorists should expect Central Avenue and roads feeding into the race route to be closed beginning at approximately 7:30 AM on July 4th until the completion of the race.
We understand the temporary closures can be inconvenient, but they are necessary to ensure the safety of the thousands of participants, volunteers, spectators, and emergency personnel involved in this annual event.
Please plan your travel accordingly, allow yourself extra time if you need to be somewhere that morning, and help us make the 49th running of this community tradition a safe and successful one.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation, and we look forward to seeing everyone out celebrating Independence Day in Lancaster!
