BERKELEY — A two-mile stretch of Shattuck Avenue, encompassing the Gourmet Ghetto and the heart of the downtown business district, will be closed to traffic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 15 for “Sunday Streets.”

Also known as “Open Streets,” the festival, now in its sixth year in Berkeley, is a chance for people to “get out and connect with their community and urban environment in a transformative way,” according to the Sunday Streets Berkeley website.

“The streets become parks as people replace car traffic,” an event description reads in part. “People walk, bike, skate and dance and play. Everyone from businesses and community organizations to musicians and artists use the space creatively, engaging the public and providing spontaneity and discovery.”

In Berkeley on Oct. 15, Shattuck Avenue will be closed from Rose Street to Channing Way, a 16-block stretch, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A side feature will be a Pet Parade from noon to 1:30 p.m. along Shattuck starting at Cedar Street and going to Channing Way. The parade is free and pets in Halloween costumes are encouraged.

The annual Vine Street Block Party will also take place in conjunction with Sunday Streets this year, offering a wine and beer garden hosted by Vintage Berkeley, live music all day, and local artisan vendors.

“It sounds simple, yet it really is very different and exciting,” say organizers. “We emphasize activities that encourage physical activity, stimulate interest in healthy, safety and the environment, and are interactive and fun.”

Walking, biking or using public transit to attend the event is encouraged. “The Downtown Berkeley BART station is in the heart of Sunday Streets Berkeley,” organizers note.

Internet sources trace the origins of Sunday Streets, now celebrated in several dozen North American cities, to the “Ciclovía” street festival that began in Bogotá, Colombia several decades ago. The Berkeley event, inspired by Sunday Streets in San Francisco, was first held in 2012.

Nonprofits, schools, and small businesses can host an interactive activity at the festival for free. Sign up here.

Volunteers are needed to serve as “ambassadors,” to provide guidance to event participants and alternative route information to drivers, monitor traffic barriers, help set up and break down the event, and keep their assigned area clean. Sign up here. Volunteers will receive a baseball cap, a $5 coupon for Sports Basement, and a voucher for a meal at Sweetgreen, according to the event website.

For more details visit http://www.sundaystreetsberkeley.org/.