Thousands of bicyclists are expected to hit the streets of Dallas thanks to the Dallas Bike Ride, an annual ride taking place on Saturday, May 17 that's anticipated to draw 4,000 riders.

Described as a family-friendly celebration of cycling and community, the Dallas Bike Ride welcomes riders of all ages and abilities to cruise at their own pace past iconic Dallas landmarks including Reunion Tower and the JFK Memorial. It's a recreational ride with a festive atmosphere: snacks, drinks, photo opportunities, and live music along the route.

The 20-mile ride is "car-free" because — just like the marathon — it blocks off the streets where it passes, and those streets include the most densely populated neighborhoods in the inner city/urban core: the Central Business District, Victory Park, the Design District, West Dallas, Kessler Park, and the Bishop Arts District.

That means four hours of avoiding those neighborhoods if you are driving, since it begins at 8 am, and is anticipated to last until 12 pm.

A course guide highlights the neighborhoods and times that motorists are advised to avoid.

The ride will start at City Hall, then cross over to Victory Park, before heading to Uptown and Oak Lawn, then through the Design District, to West Dallas, before doubling back towards downtown.

From there it will swing over to Kessler Park and Bishop Arts before returning to downtown Dallas where it will end at City Hall with a branded Methodist Dallas Finish Festival, featuring live music, a beer garden, and food trucks.

• Downtown Dallas will be closed from 7:45 am-12 pm, along Ervay, Commerce, Young, and Marilla.
• Victory Park will be closed from 7:51-9 am, along Houston Street and Nowitzski Way.
• Oak Lawn will be closed from 7:53-9:35 am, along Cedar Springs, Maple Avenue, Turtle Creek Boulevard, and Oak Lawn Avenue.
• West Dallas will be closed from 7:48-10:40 am, along Continental Avenue, Riverfront Boulevard, and Commerce Street.
• Kessler Park will be closed from 8:28-11:08 am, along Edgefield Avenue, Kessler Parkway, and Colorado Boulevard.
• Bishop Arts will be closed from 8:32-11:59 am, along Tyler Street, Polk Street, West 12th Street, Zang Boulevard, and Jefferson Boulevard.

The specific streets and times are listed here.