One of my favorite Downtown Waco walks is to cross the bridge to East Waco and head down Elm Avenue. It’s quiet down that corridor and in the spring and summer, East Waco gets lush and green. The murals along Elm are interesting and it’s fun to imagine what the avenue was and could be in 5 or 10 years of development.

We encourage you to cross the bridge. In fact, Saturday is going to be the perfect day to get a taste of East Waco.

Kick off the day with an informative walk around Historic East Waco with the folks from Waco Walks. Meet up at the Centex African American Chamber of Commerce Building, 1020 Elm Ave #700. This is a small white building on Paul Quinn Campus. (TIP: Elm Avenue will be blocked for the set up for Art on Elm. If you are driving, an alternate route would be to cross the river on Waco Drive and turn right onto Garrison to get to Quinn Campus.)

The walk will be approximately two miles long, over about an hour and will end at the Art on Elm celebration.

That’s where your next East Waco experience begins. At Art on Elm, a free, family-friendly, pop-up art exhibit, enjoy fine art, music, crafts, food and, of course, community. Art on Elm is like the block party that everyone is invited to, whether it’s technically your block or not.

At some point, make your way back to Paul Quinn Campus, where you began, and pop into the Waco Multi-Purpose Facility and check out the Healthy Soul Food Demo and Health Fair. Sponsored by the Office of Community Engagement & Service at Baylor University, Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, and Waco Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc., the fair is designed to promote healthy living in a fun way. Activities include Hip-Hop Zumba, Soul food taste-testing, jump rope, hula-hoop, and more. Health services included, BMI checks, blood pressure checks, blood glucose checks and HIV testing.

Enjoy your day while getting to know your neighbors and another part of Waco.