EVANSVILLE Yoga on the Bridge Saturday afternoon is the first public event to be held on the iconic Marchand Bridge over Pigeon Creek at its entrance to the Ohio River.

The event hosted by the Evansville-Area Trails Coalition (ETC) and Evansville Power Yoga will be at 5:30 Saturday on the bridge that is part of the Pigeon Creek Greenway.

We wanted to bring yoga to the community and bring exposure to the trails and all they have to offer, said Mark Goltiano, owner of Evansville Power Yoga. The atmosphere on the bridge at sunset will be so peaceful and serene. The scene, right there on the river, lends itself to a serene physical activity like yoga.

The event is free and open to all levels of yoga including those who have never participated in the art before, he said. And the setting on the bridge is a nice, not intimidating way for people to get a chance to check yoga out and see what it is like.

This venue is urban but also serene at the same time, Goltiano said. We are going to be downtown but have a relaxed energy. Yoga is all about finding peace when sometimes it is difficult.

Drew Hays, executive director of Evansville Trails Coalition, said he hopes Yoga on the Bridge becomes an annual event. Not only is it an opportunity for a community wellness activity, he said it is also a way for residents to see the Marchand Bridges transformation and the beauty of the Greenway and trails.

It always amazes me to hear people say that they havent been on the trails yet, Hays said. They will tell me they have read about them or heard someone talking about them but havent seen it for themselves. We want to promote what we have and get people excited about it so they can help us demand that we get even more trails.

The Coalition is a private nonprofit to promote and expand the Greenway as well as making the community more bikeable and walkable. Hays pointed out that Evansville lags behind some nearby communities like Owensboro, Ky., that has 26 miles of trails. But he said the community is poised to expand its trail system with momentum building.

And events like Yoga on the Bridge just help spread the mission of ETC and get word out about what the Greenway is about and the need for even more.

We are always looking for more creative ways to take advantage of what we already have here, Hays said. This event will be a lot of fun and is something that will go toward improving our health, well being and quality of life.

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Serene Yoga planned for Marchand bridge over Pigeon Creek at Sunset Saturday