Eat the Street food festival to make long-awaited return

EAT the Street will return to Lismore in November, with the popular food festival expected to attract thousands of visitors.

Since its inception in 2016, Eat the Street has become an iconic Northern Rivers festival, showcasing the region’s finest food vendors.

It was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and struggled to find a return date following the floods in 2022.

The event will feature food stalls, pop-up performances, live entertainers and family-friendly activities.

Dairy co-operative Norco has signed on as naming rights sponsor for the next three years.

Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said the festival highlights resilience, creativity and a sense of community.

“Thousands of visitors are expected to converge on Lismore to sample the very best that the Northern Rivers has to offer,” he said.

“It brings visitors into our CBD, supports our local businesses and shines a spotlight on the extraordinary food, art and culture of our region.”

“This is a celebration of who we are. Our producers, our creatives, our entertainers, and our community all come together to create something truly special.”

Eat the Street was first established by the Lismore Business Promotion Panel in partnership with Lismore City Council.

The first event attracted around 8000 people and sold more than 500 tasting plates per stall.

By 2019, the event was drawing more than 26,000 visitors and generating an estimated $2.6 million for the local economy.

Its return has been made possible with support from the state government’s Vibrant Streets Package – Open Streets Program 2025–28, which will provide council with $292,280 in funding over three years.

“I’ll always keep pushing for projects that bring life to our community and help the local economy thrive,” Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said.

“With the added Norco sponsorship, this is a big vote of confidence in the future of Lismore.”

Eat the Street has been recognised with multiple awards, including gold at the Regional Tourism Awards in 2018 and 2019, silver at the NSW Tourism Awards in 2018, and a highly commended award at the NSW Local Government Awards in 2019.

The 2025 event will be held on Saturday, November 15 from noon to 7pm across multiple streets in the CBD and Lismore Quad.