Eats, beats and art will take over laneways, streets, car parks and gardens in Parramatta’s CBD next week, as the annual Parramatta Lanes festival makes its return.
The city’s signature festival will cover more ground than ever before – with more than 16 sites across the CBD, 70 street food stalls and eight stages set to go off with over 100 performers across four massive nights.
City of Parramatta CEO Gail Connolly said the annual event gets bigger and better each year.
“Parramatta Lanes is our flagship event, bringing international and local performers, larger-than-life art installations, and street food from all corners of the world,” she said.
“Last year it attracted more than 180,000 visitors, injecting $1.5 million into our local economy – and this year is shaping up to be even bigger.”
For the first time, Prince Alfred Square will come alive for the event, hosting Pro Wrestling Australia live action entertainment as well as Pup Culture, a dedicated area for cultured pooches with a dog agility course.
A list of international, national and western Sydney talents, including R&B singer A.GIRL, are slated to perform.
Vibrant art installations will light up each evening, featuring artworks such as Lost, an Alice in Wonderland-inspired floral garden, Otto and Anina, a duo of colossal cats and interactive musical Trumpet Flowers.
Visitors will also have the chance to enjoy an array of different foods, including fried chicken inspired by LA’s Raising Canes, KOI’s desserts and viral bites such as cookie croissants, BBQ skewers, acai bowls and loaded potato spuds.
Director of KOI Dessert Bar Ronald Poernomo said they are excited to be back at the festival for another year.
“With the KOI family growing up in Parramatta and calling it home for so long, it means a lot to us to have the opportunity to share our passion with the community each year,” he said.
“We are bringing brand new creations we’ve developed this year along with some of our all-time classics for everyone to enjoy.”
But Connolly said the fun won’t stop with just the streets and lanes, with plenty of local restaurants and stores also jumping on board.
“There’s more to explore around the CBD with local restaurants, venues and stores offering a taste of their signature dishes, off-menu items, extravagant desserts, limited-edition cocktails and unique experiences,” she added.
Local favourites such as Mamak, Nick & Nora’s, Baba Ghanouj, LilyMu and Gelato Messina are just some of the businesses participating in the annual event.
Eckersley’s Art & Crafts will also have a free ‘paint your partner’ portrait activity at their store on Church Street.
Parramatta Lanes kicks off from Wednesday, October 23 to Saturday, October 26 from 5pm each night. Entry is free.
Bookings are recommended for dine-in experiences. To find out more go to http://www.atparramatta.com/lanes.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.