For six Sundays in September and October, pedestrians in Rittenhouse can roam the streets traffic-free on nearly seven blocks as the Open Streets initiative returns the neighborhood.

Center City District announced the program will celebrate its one-year anniversary by closing streets in the shopping and dining district to motor vehicles each Sunday from Sept. 7 to Oct. 12.

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From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Open Streets days, cars will be prohibited on 18th Street between Locust and Chestnut streets, and Walnut Street will be car-free between 15th and 19th streets.

Restaurants and shops in the Open Streets zones will offer specials and activities each Sunday, like Bar Bombón, 133 S. 18th St., which is planning outdoor dining and live music on Sundays in September and Stephen Starr’s Dandelion, 124 S. 18th St., which will expand its outdoor seating for the events. On Sept. 7 and 14, clothing store Madewell, 1729 Walnut St., will collect donated jeans outside its storefront, and the shop will offer 20% off new pairs for people who contribute their old denim.

Philadelphia Eagles games coinciding with the Open Streets dates on Sept. 21, Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 will be projected on screens. There will be live music and pop-up performances and other entertainment also scheduled for each Sunday, and there will be a designated family-friendly zone with games and toys.

Cross streets will remain open to traffic at each intersection.

In the past year, Center City District held Open Streets events in Rittenhouse in September, December and April. Another one took place east of Broad Street, in Midtown Village, in June.

Among the businesses that participated in Rittenhouse’s Open Streets last year, nearly 90% of stores reported increased foot traffic those days. Some said the number of people who entered their businesses was up 300%.

Center City District president and CEO Prema Katari Gupta said the events show, “Philadelphians crave more pedestrian-friendly public spaces” and the benefits are felt in all of Center City.

“Open Streets isn’t just about closing streets to cars – it’s about opening streets to possibility,” Gupta said.