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. First prize is $250 cash.  Runners-up get a Peet’s Coffee & Tea gift certificate.  Winners will be notified by Monday after.

Same-day registration takes place 10AM-5PM in event booths located at 1495 and 1673 Shattuck Ave. where special artist's chalk is available for $10.  See last year’s winners at www.chocolateandchalkart.com.

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, vegan chocolate mini pies, 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 to draw on with chalk.  Sit in a Fiat 550 and have your photo taken 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.