Back in January, the City of Sydney ran a four-week festival that saw it shut down inner-city streets for al fresco dining pop-ups. The Summer Streets saw waves of Sydneysiders soak in some sun and support local businesses on bustling streets across Redfern, Glebe, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Pyrmont. With spring currently in full swing, the minds behind Summer Streets have brought the program back for a six-week run throughout October and the start of November. Now labelled Sydney Streets, the run of street parties will be popping up on busy thoroughfares across Surry Hills, Pyrmont, Redfern, Haymarket, Glebe, Potts Point and the Sydney CBD from Saturday, October 1 — with the first event taking over Surry Hills' Crown Street. From there, a different City of Sydney suburb will be given the street party experience each Saturday until the program finishes up with a blockbuster event spread across Darlinghurst Road and Macleay Street in Potts Point. Also getting involved in the festival: Harris Street, Stanley Street, Redfern Street and Glebe Point Road. [caption id="attachment_869982" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katherine Griffiths[/caption] Each weekend's event will see these spots trade traffic for outdoor dining, shopping and live entertainment from 11am until 10pm. The City of Sydney hopes this initiative will help businesses to continue to bounce back after an extremely tough couple of COVID- and rain-affected years. "We're closing our main streets to traffic and making it safe so locals can shop, dine or drink on our footpaths and roadways in a Covid-safe way," City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. "Our first series of Sydney Streets parties through the last summer was a huge success and well received by residents and businesses alike. We want to see more people get out and about and enjoy what their neighbourhoods have to offer." Alongside Sydney Streets, the council is also fast-tracking outdoor dining permits and waiving outdoor dining fees until mid-2023. In June, more than $6.2-million in cash grants and in-kind contributions were approved for local businesses, community groups and cultural programs across the City of Sydney. Following this upcoming spring edition, another run of Sydney Streets will be taking place at the beginning of 2023 between January and April. [caption id="attachment_648852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida.[/caption] Sydney Streets will close down streets in Surry Hills, Pyrmont, Redfern, Haymarket, Glebe, Potts Point and the Sydney CBD between Saturday, October 1—Saturday, November 12. Top image: Katherine Griffiths