By Andrew Firestone

At SomerStreets on Sunday, Broadway was closed for traffic and open for festival.  From the Gold Star Memorial Library to Foss Park, revelers in East Somerville enjoyed festive music from two stages.

At FossFest, locals enjoyed stilt practice from the Open Air Circus and the rock and roll music by Angeline.

A few blocks down the way at SomerStreets, Marcus Santo led a palpable troop of rhythm as Dance Havana gave a lesson in community salsa, and members of the Vegetable Circus dazzled onlookers with gravity defying feats of hoolah-hoop grooving.

Along Broadway, which was closed off from Temple Street to Sullivan Square, local business and crafts vendors offered everything from massages to sand sculptures. People could either make it down by group bicycles offered from Dutch Bicycle Company, or walk alongside the Marcus Santo-led parade, which included Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Aldermen-at-large Dennis Sullivan and Bill White, Salvadoran beauty queen Melissa Marquez and dancers from Grupo folclor de Loma Larga who twirled their lavish blue dresses.

“Everybody’s been really excited about it because it’s one of the first street fairs that this part of town has ever seen and they’ve wanted one for a long time,” said Jenn Bliss, coordinator of the East Somerville Main Streets portion of SomerStreets.

Despite intense heat, hundreds made out it to satisfy their anticipation. “It gets people dancing together and having a good time together and that can only be good for a community,” she said.

Youngsters of East Somerville were excited about the open air of empty Broadway filled with amusements of all kinds. “It’s like a street where we could have parties all the time, like a playground street,” said Colin Tobier, age seven.

Alderman Bill Roche of Ward 1 was happy with the sense of community the event fostered. “I just think it brings the whole neighborhood closer together,” he said.