Oak Flats Eats and Beats Street Festival will run in conjunction with Oak Flats Public School’s Spring Festival. Photo: Shellharbour City Council.
A new spring edition of Eats and Beats will hit Oak Flats on Saturday (20 September), as the popular free street festival format joins forces with Oak Flats Public School’s Spring Festival.
It’s part of a six-event Eats and Beats Street Series alternating between Oak Flats and Albion Park over the next three years, thanks to $350,000 in funding from the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program 2025-28.
Combining the Shellharbour City Council-run event with the school’s festival will mean Oak Flats’ Central Avenue will feature carnival rides, showbags, two stages with live music and dance performances, food, a circus dropzone, and eco zone activities.
Among the features will be Oak Flats Community Garden take home seeds, craft activities and popcorn at the library, a trash puppets activity by The Tinkerage Dunmore, parkour with Kongquest, and markets at the neighbourhood centre.
Hosting the festivities will be i98FM’s radio duo, Bella and Christian.
Shellharbour City Mayor Chris Homer said the festival was a great example of how council was reimagining public spaces and bringing communities together.
“Eats and Beats is more than just a fun day out; it’s about creating opportunities for people to connect, for local businesses and artists to shine, and for our town centres to become welcoming places,” Cr Homer said.
“Oak Flats has a unique local character, and we’re excited to showcase that through music, food and community-driven activities.
“We are grateful to the NSW Government for their support, which has enabled us to bring this project to life.”
Each festival is co-designed with schools, businesses, and community groups, ensuring the program reflects the unique identity and spirit of the town centre.
Funded by the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program and led by Transport for NSW, it allows councils to temporarily close streets to vehicles and open them to people through activities that boost an area’s vibrancy.
A winter twilight edition of Eats and Beats in Albion Park in July was rescheduled to 1 November after heavy rain and strong winds.
It will showcase Tongarra Road and the adjacent areas of Albion Park as a lively, busy community-focused space where people want to spend time.
“The plans in place for this area make the main street an ideal place to activate, giving a glimpse into what it could look like in the future,” Cr Homer said.
It builds on the success of last year’s Eco Eats and Beats Street Festival in Warilla.
Other events in the series include Oak Flats on 19 September 2026 and 18 September 2027, and Albion Park on 27 June 2026 and 26 June 2027.
Eats and Beats Oak Flats will be held on Central Avenue, between Fisher and Wentworth streets in Oak Flats on Saturday (20 September) from 10 am to 2 pm.
Parking will be available at the carpark off Fisher and Kingston streets, or buses will operate with a small detour to the regular route.
