All tastes catered for at Glebe Street Fair

BY EMMA KEMP

The Glebe Street Fair will celebrate its 25th birthday this Sunday, lighting up Glebe Point Road with all the old goodies plus some news treats for the whole family.

The Fair is an annual favourite for Sydney’s Christmas shoppers, music lovers and families, providing a range of festivities including live music, kids’ rides and entertainment all day.

More than 200 stalls will line the streets, offering punters all sorts of clothing, ceramics and enticing food.

“One of the best things about the fair is an absolutely phenomenal shopping opportunity,” said the fair’s coordinator, Judy McCumstie. “There is some stunning summer clothing available, from all sorts of people who make their own stuff. So there is an emphasis on original designers.

“And there is food from every possible international cuisine that you could think of.”

One of this year’s headliners is Newcastle pygmy rock band, Mojo Juju and the Snake Oil Merchants. The 13-member group are best described as a cross between rock and traditional gypsy music with a mix of instruments that include fiddles, accordions, trumpets and saxophones alongside an electric guitar and drum kit.

Latin dancers organised by a local dance school, they’re likely to drag people out of the audience and invite them to get in touch with their inner ballroom dancer.

And for the argumentative, a spruiker’s stage will be on offer for all those prepared to take the challenge.

“If arguments are not your go, then it’s fine for people to come along and read out poems, and see if people respond to that,” Ms McCumstie says.

As a family event, you can be sure the little ones will be catered for. Foley Park will host a baby animal farm and face painting, along with a circus skills workshop and a storytime princess that will entertain the tots all day long.

“I hope it brings a lot of people into Glebe Point Road and people begin to think about coming back to it again, because the street has been almost closed down as a result of the upgrade that’s been going on for the last couple of years,” Ms McCumstie said. “And I think a lot of the business people are actually really looking forward to the Glebe Street Fair as an opportunity to have their shops open for the day and for people to find them again.”

The Fair is put on by the Glebe Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the City of Sydney. It is run on a not-for-profit basis, with proceeds being used by the Chamber to support a variety of local community projects.