Kicking off with “Carnaval” along East Broadway, SomerStreets promotes active living, reconnecting with city neighborhoods

SomerStreet: Carnaval returns for a 6^th year of shaking up East Somerville! SomerStreets will kick off the 2015 season this Sunday, June 7, from noon to 4 p.m. (rain or shine).

SomerStreets is the City of Somerville’s take on the internationally-renowned Open Streets concept, closing busy city streets to vehicles, and opening them up for cycling, walking, dancing, running, and other modes of activity. Through SomerStreets, the City and its community partners aim to promote and encourage easy access to physical activity, fresh foods, and reconnecting with neighborhoods and businesses and their unique cultural elements in a thriving urban environment.

On June 7, enjoy the best of the East Broadway Business District and the East Somerville community including food, music, and culture from around the world. Programming will extend along East Broadway from the intersection of Broadway and McGrath Highway to Pennsylvania Ave. The festival kicks off with a Motion Parade at noon beginning at the Cross St. Senior Center (165 Broadway).

Keep your feet moving with a variety of interactive activities including hola hooping, stilting, parkour and relay races. Hop aboard the Arts Council’s MUSCRAT bus for giant bubbles & gadget making!

Check out music throughout the day on three stages! Acts include Samba Viva with Grupo Camarote, Opposite People, Grupo Los Nitidos, Bloco AfroBrazil, Mariachi los Viajeros de Mexico, and The Gravel Project. At our community performance area enjoy Onstage Dance Company, El Sistema Somerville, and Pete ‘Afro D’ Shungu. Tunes will be spun by local DJ Soto.

SomerStreets: Carnaval is organized by the City of Somerville, the Somerville Arts Council and East Somerville Main Streets.

In order to ensure public safety at the event, several road closures and parking bans will be in effect between McGrath Highway and Lombardi Ave.:

• Closed to all vehicular traffic;
• No parking on either side of the street from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.;
• Residents who live on the west side of Broadway will be detoured onto Broadway at Pennsylvania Ave.; Residents who live on the east side of Broadway will be detoured onto Pearl St.

MBTA buses will be rerouted from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For full detour information, visit www.mbta.com.

SomerStreets is an annual series that takes place one Sunday per month in the months of June through October. The 2015 events schedule is as follows:

•  June 7: Carnaval @ SomerStreets. East Broadway (McGrath Highway to Pennsylvania Ave.)
•  Aug. 9: Seize the Summer @ SomerStreets. Highland Ave. (Walnut St. to Cedar St.)
•  Sept. 13: Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets. Holland St. (Davis Sq. to Teele Sq.)
•  Oct. 18: Monster MashedUp @ SomerStreets. Somerville Ave. (Union Sq. to Elm St.)

All SomerStreets events run from 12 to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

For more information about road closures contact 311 (617-666-3311). For information on how to participate in any of the SomerStreets events, contact Nina Eichner, Special Events Manager, at (617) 625-6600 ext. 2985.