Five Minutes with Kris Spann from Glebe Street Fair

This year the Glebe Chamber of Commerce has paired up with event producers Mothership Events (Lost Paradise, Stereosonic, Smooth FM Choc Fest) to take the event to the next level. Mothership are awesome and have taken care of our licensing, road closures, logistics, crewing and event planning, which frees the Chamber up to add the colour, community and culture to the event. This partnership has seen us focusing our efforts on community involvement, securing sponsorship, programming cultural elements, booking market stalls and curating the marketing campaign. The event is a monster – 100,000 people, 250 market stalls, one kilometre of road closure and three stages of programming.

There are three new components on the program. What can you tell us about them?

Glebe’s business and local community have really come together over this event this year. The big kids on the block, Mirvac, are hosting two exciting activations – the Be You Block Party sponsored by Broadway Shopping Centre and the Tramsheds Showcase by the Harold Park Development. Glebe.com.au has brought together key community organisations such as Glebe Justice Centre, the Glebe Society and the Glebe Library to host interactive activities in the beautiful Foley Park.

Did the planning for this year’s festival aim for a more inclusive and accessible event?

This year we have tried to put the Glebe and the Street firmly into the Glebe Street Fair. This has meant an increased ownership of the event by major Glebe businesses and community organisations and aiming to increase the cultural relevance of the Fair within the Sydney event landscape. The fair is now in its 32nd year, so there is an expectation that it will be a familiar family day out with plenty of amazing stalls, delicious food options and a fantastic street fair feel. All of this remains, plus we’ve added a focus on including performers from marginalised backgrounds in our musical programming with Ngaiire, New Venusians and MC Miles Merrill bolstering the bill, and Loco Project have curated works from our best local artists in their shipping container art gallery exhibition. There will also be a very interesting discussion panel in Foley Park at 11am with Love Parade founder Dr. Motte and local street event organisers discussing the past, present and future of utilising roads as community celebration venues. This will be followed by three hours of Glebe Talks with local people telling local stories about ideas and experiences that have shaped them.

What makes Glebe the best suburb in Sydney?

Glebe is the place to be yourself, do your thing and be part of an authentic village community only one kilometre from the CBD.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.

Subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine

Subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine