Berkeley, CA -- The sidewalks along North Shattuck Ave. in the Gourmet Ghetto
in Berkeley are the target of artists young and old, professional and greenhorn
during the 16th annual CHOCOLATE & CHALK ART FESTIVAL on Saturday, June 2 (rain date June 9).
With no fees to artists, areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to
create their own fanciful chalk drawings. A CHALK ART CONTEST for the best
drawing will be judged after 4 p.m. Winners will be notified the following day.
Same-day registration takes place 10AM-5PM in event booths located along
North Shattuck Ave. where artist's chalk is available for a fee. See last year’s winners at www.chocolateandchalkart.com.
To EAT CHOCOLATE start by purchasing a packet of tickets (10 for
$10) at any of the registration sites. The to-go menu features picante habañero chocolate chunks gelato, chocolate goat cheese truffles, Nutella crepes, adult brownies or savory chocolate ricotta pizza, Caribbean chocolate soup, chicken
molé and lots more. Spend your tickets on these delights available in the local businesses then savor your chocolate as you stroll along the sidewalks, viewing the artwork. Vote for your favorite chocolate menu item by ‘liking’ it on the Chocolate and Chalk Art page on Facebook no later than Monday, June 4 at 5PM. Businesses with the most ‘liked’ menu items get bragging rights for a year.
Vendors with chocolate, chocolate-related items, and hand made arts
and crafts fill the blocks between Rose and Vine Streets. There’s even a car you can draw on with chalk. Have your photo taken in one of our Fiat 550s that will get posted on Facebook, tag yourself and get entered into a raffle for merchant gift certificates. A special children’s area at 1673 Shattuck Avenue has pony rides, inflatable bounce houses, jugglers, face painters and many more surprises.
Musical entertainment includes Sadza Marimba, The Blondies, Mo’Fone, Stafford & Sturdevant, InSteel Caribbean Drums, and Sean Lee’s One-Man Band. Merriment provided by the circus artistry of Coventry & Kaluza and stilt walker Cynthia Rauschert.
This is a family-friendly free event produced by Another Bullwinkel Show
510.548.5335 (www.anotherbullwinkelshow.com) and sponsored by the North
Shattuck Association (www.northshattuck.org), City of Berkeley, Fiat, Art Kapour Realty, Comcast, KFOG, Berkeleyside.com, East Bay Express and YELP. For a good time take BART to downtown Berkeley and stroll north six blocks.
