FAQs

There are obviously many good reasons to run a Street Feast; here are a few of our favourites:

• Be part of a national annual feast day of community celebration.
• Meet and (re)connect with neighbours.
• Help support community initiatives around the country.
• Celebrate how multi-cultural and diverse Ireland’s neighbourhoods have become.
• Share a simple, creative, self-organised lunch.
• Proclaim our love for locally grown food.
• Feel safer around our communities in the future.

While some of us are lucky enough to be a part of a strong community, there are many of us who find ourselves increasingly isolated. By strengthening our communities, we’ll all be better able to cope with whatever changes the future may bring. Street Feast gives us an excuse to get out there, share food and conversation, and help build stronger neighbourhoods.

It is straightforward to register your first or repeat event.

1. Follow this Registration link. This will bring you to our registration partner’s Change X website.
2. Click the ‘Host a Street Feast’ Button
3. Sign in to your ChangeX account or Create a new account
4. Follow the 4 simple steps to register your event

If you are having any issues registering, contact us on [email protected] or send us a message on social media. We are always on hand to help 🙂

These are provided free of charge to help Street Feasters get started. They contain bunting, invites, posters and an informational folder. Once you register, you can also receive a downloadable guide with loads of hints and tips when you register.

Please reuse and recycle your pack. If you don’t need a physical pack posted out to you, please don’t request one when registering. If you have registered a Street Feast event you are entitled to claim one, whilst stocks last.

Many Local Authorities provide funding to cover the cost of the Street Feast DIY Packs, advertising and support provided by Street Feast HQ in each county.

If you need funding to run your feast, we advise you to contact your local county council or PPN (Public Participation Network) about what funding opportunities are available to your community.

From time to time, Street Feast HQ will make funding announcements thanks to partnerships we’ve built. If we have funds to allocate to Street Feasts in 2024, we will update let all registered participants via email.

Other ideas to raise funds or products for your event:

-Strike a sponsorship deal with local businesses

-Shared project funding with existing local Community Groups

-Raise funds as a team using a Community Crowdfunding platform

You don’t have to close your street at all. You don’t even have to hold it on a street. Street Feasts can be held anywhere. The vast-majority of Street Feasts happen on cul-de-sacs, pavements, green areas, parks, carparks, front gardens and laneways. It’s much easier if you don’t have to ‘close’ the road.

If you do like the sound of moving the cars out of the way for the day and setting up bang in the middle of your street then there are ways to make it happen. We suggest that you first chat to your local community gardai – they will be able to advise you on the best approach. You may be able to arrange a temporary road closure and you may not need to go down the ‘official street closure’ route.

To officially close a public road you’ll need permission from your council. Your local council’s website will usually have a form to fill in and they may ask you to pay fees for closing the street. It’s best to apply well in advance.

Some councils may require you take out Public Liability Insurance, usually as part of your road closure application. If you are planning an event in public space it is worth considering taking out insurance.

The good news is that most community organisations and residents’ associations already have insurance. It’s usually just a matter of seeing if they can get involved, and asking them to help with the insurance cover. Annual Public Liability Insurance for neighbourhoods can cost as little as €190 with BHP. Click this link for more information about the BHP Street Feast policy. And please email us if you need more information on [email protected]

Depending on the scale of your activity, you may need to close your street or road. It can be avoided though, so consider taking advantage of alternative public spaces like cul-de-sacs, pavements, green areas, parks, carparks, front gardens and laneways. It’s much easier if you don’t have to ‘close’ the road.

But If you do like the sound of moving the cars out of the way for the day and setting up bang in the middle of your street then there are ways to make it happen. Chat to your local community Gardaí- they will be able to advise you on the best approach. It helps if there is very little traffic, and the traffic can be very easily diverted. You may be able to arrange a temporary road closure for a few hours and you may not need to go down the ‘official street closure’ route.

Alternatively you’ll need permission from your council to officially close a public road for the day. Your local council’s website will usually have a form to fill in and they may ask you to pay fees for closing the street. It’s best to apply well in advance but don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds!

Rain never stopped us before! But we’ve got a mighty memory for forgetting the sunny days and remembering the washouts. We have all our toes crossed for a scorcher, but there is no harm in being prepared for possible rain.

Borrow a light tarpaulin and string it over the street as a practice run for possible downpours. Agree on somewhere beforehand that everyone will relocate to if the heavens open. How about the community centre? The local scout hall? Or somebody’s garage opened up? If you’re the kind of person that will be up worrying about it on the night before, you could consider planning the whole thing at the community centre or somewhere else indoors. 

Remember, we are having Street Feast 2025 over TWO days ,so there is an allowance for a rainy day! Keep a close eye on the weather app and plan appropriately!

When preparing food, common sense applies! The biggest barbecue pitfall is uncooked meat. A handy hint – cook the meat in the oven and then finish it off on the barbecue to ensure you still capture those yummy flavours. Do as you normally do at home. Wash hands and dishes with hot water. Keep everything clean. Don’t forget to keep your raw meat separate from your cooked meat. That includes using separate chopping boards, knives and plates.

One of the very special aspects of Street Feast is that in general, for the most part, no money is involved. It’s one of very few events in the country where you don’t have to pay entry, or buy food. Neighbours and participants can contribute by bringing food, tables, chairs, gazebos, a PA system… you name it.

For this reason, and to keep Street Feast true to it’s original vision, we request that you do not charge entry or charge for food at your Street Feast.

If you registered for Street Feast 2025 but chose not to receive a pack in the post, you can download posters and invites to print at home or share with your Whatsapp group via your ChangeX profile. You can download items on the ChangeX Street Feast Resources page here. 

Yes for 2025, we will support all hosts by giving an option to be included in our national Street Feast WhatsApp Community. Hosts can join the community and then request to join to their specific county Street Feast to share ideas, resources and support.

WhatsApp allows for real time communication and group members can mute any group notifications and/or leave the group at anytime.

How does it work?

• Join our general group for messages, cool graphics, handy invites, and even a giveaway or two from Street Feast HQ.
• Inspire your friends and neighbours and keep your Street Feast plans on track, with graphics that you can send straight from Whatsapp on your phone.
• Send us your ideas and your queries.
• And you can join a Street Feast Whatsapp sub-group for your county: chat with other hosts, exchange ideas, recipes, weather predictions, tips & tricks, participate as much or as little as you choose (we’ll give you a few tips when you sign up)

On your mobile? Here is the WhatsApp Invite Link just click on it to be added to this year’s group of hosts.

It’s always a good idea to communicate with your local community Garda about any public event in your local area. This is especially the case if you’re planning to do any activities that will be out on the street or road. They’ll tell you how it works in your area and help make sure it all goes to plan.

Brightening up your area makes a huge change and puts a smile on people’s faces. Smaller projects (decorating your own front garden) are just as effective as bigger ones (decorating the outside of local disused buildings).

Some creative ideas for decorating your public space, the links will bring you to our Organisation’s website ‘Neighbourhood Network’.

Get creative with neighbours and of course the children in the area:

Create long colourful paper chains

Make your own bunting < click for an easy to follow method

Make your trees twinkle < learn how to make this happen

Decorate your street with chalk art < easy to find, hassle free and it leaves no stains!

Check out our social media pages for more décor and foodie ideas!

Whether you’re new to the neighbourhood, or you’ve lived there your whole life, it’s good to take a bit of time to introduce yourself to your neighbours.

Here are a few simple ice-breaking tips for what you can do in your day-today to get to know your community:

Say hello

Take the time to say a friendly hello and introduce yourself to your neighbours. Try to remember names as best you can, it can be tricky to remember everyone’s but it’s nice to show you’ve listened and that you care.

Smile!

Make sure to flash your neighbours a friendly smile when you pass them, whether you’re rushing out the door or out walking the dog. It’s a good habit to get into and is sure to make a difference!

Strike up a conversation

Get a genuine conversation going by asking how they are, complementing the plants in their garden or asking what they got up to at the weekend! Build some positive connections.

While it’s not imperative to bring something along to your feast, we do encourage it as it’s a time for sharing and breaking bread with neighbours.

Foodie Suggestions

Bring your favourite dish! Street Feast is a great time to taste foods from different cultures & traditions. Make it a talking point with a new neighbour you don’t know 🙂  Home-made bakes, sides, salads, breads, dips, local seasonal produce or even a packet of biscuits will be welcomed. 

Games

Are you musical? Pop your instrument under your arm and get a sing-song going.. Maybe you could write a little melody about your neighbourhood. 

Hula-hoops, skipping ropes even a good aul football can start a healthy competition between young & old! 

Practical Goodies

A fold-up chair.

Flowers from your garden for extra decoration. 

A recycling bag to collect extra clean-dry rubbish. 

Whatever you bring will be appreciated.

Once you register your event through our partners Change X, you will receive a free Party Pack in the post.

You can access a bank of digital resources that can be downloaded and printed at home. Here is the link to the Digital Resources Section

Your Street Feast event profile can be updated and the link shared with neighbours in your locality. You can also see what other feasts are happening in your county! It’s a great way to keep information updated in one place.

Our Street Feast Guide gives lots of useful information and a handy Checklist. Download it here.

Get snapping! Those beautiful moments you capture for the memories can win you a fine prize!

More details of our National Photo Competition will follow here.

We love to see! Group Photos, Funny Photos, Creative Shots, Activities & Play, Young & Old and of course Delicious Dishes & Food!

Street Feast is an initiative of Neighbourhood Network.

Neighbourhood Network is an Irish not-for-profit organisation which aims to promote social inclusion, tackle loneliness and build supportive and resilient neighbourhoods around Ireland. The Neighbourhood Network team runs Street Feast annually as our flagship national community development project. In 2025, we celebrate the 15th year of Street Feast celebrations!

If, after you have hosted a Street Feast, you would like to continue building connections in your neighbourhood, get in touch [email protected]

We can work together to provide you with resources and information to build a happier, healthier and more resilient community.