East Broadway will come alive with the sights, sounds and spectacle of Carnaval @ SomerStreets.

Due to heavy rains and possible tropical downpours expected on Sunday, the annual street festival Carnaval @ SomerStreets in Somerville is postponed to Saturday, June 11, 2-6 p.m.

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 5, 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 McGrath Highway to Pennsylvania Ave. The festival kicks off with a Motion Parade at 2pm beginning at the Cross St. Senior Center, 165 Broadway.

Keep your feet moving with a variety of interactive activities including stilting and parkour. Watch Esh Circus Arts fly through the air on their trapeze rig. Play soccer and preschool games with the Somerville Recreation Department. Hop aboard the Arts Council’s MUSCRAT bus for crafts and wild engineering projects with parts.

Check out music throughout the day on three stages! Acts include Grupo Los Nitidos, A Nova Brazil, Federator Number 1, Mariachis lost Viajeros de Mexico, Banda Bahia, Nuz Band, Loma Larga Banda de la Paz, and DJ Fadayz. Listen to a concert from our very string players freom El Sistema, dancers from On Stage Dance Company and youth performances from Teen Empowerment.

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 Way:

Roads closed to all vehicular traffic 12:00 – 8:00 p.m.
No parking on either side of the street from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 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 12p.m. to 8 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 2016 events schedule is as follows:

Sun, June 5: Carnaval @ SomerStreets. East Broadway (McGrath Highway to Pennsylvania Ave.)
Sun., Aug. 21:  Seize the Summer @ SomerStreets. Holland St. (Davis Sq. to Teele Sq.)
Sun., Sept. 18: Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets. Highland Ave. (School St. to Lowell St.)
Sun., Oct. 23: Monster MashedUp @ SomerStreets. Somerville Ave. (Union Sq. to Lowell St.)

All SomerStreets events run from 2:00 to 6:00 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. 2998 or NEichner@somervillema.gov.