It’s time to eat chocolate and get creative with chalk — what’s not to like about that? This year’s Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival takes place on Saturday June 2, 10:00 am-5:00 pm, in the Gourmet Ghetto — and, as a proud media sponsor, Berkeleyside will have a booth there. So come say hello when you’ve sampled enough of the cacao products.
Admission is free to this perennially favorite, family-friendly Berkeley event. Areas of the sidewalks on Shattuck between Rose and Vine Streets 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. (First prize is $250 cash and runners-up get a gift certificate from Philz Coffee — see last year’s winners.)
To eat chocolate, start by purchasing a packet of tickets (20 for $20) at event booths located at 1400, 1495 and 1673 Shattuck Ave. The to-go menu features picante habañero chocolate chunks gelato, 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.
Vendors with chocolate, chocolate-related items, and hand made arts and crafts will fill the blocks between Rose and Vine Streets. There’s even a car to draw on with chalk. A special children’s area at 1673 Shattuck Avenue will offer pony rides, a petting zoo, 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.
For information visit Chocolate and Chalk Festival 2012 website.
To get breaking Berkeley news from Berkeleyside follow us on Twitter and on Facebook.
