Marrickville Metro is ready to welcome locals and Sydneysiders to the newly expanded centre across the road on Smidmore Street with a five-day extravaganza including food, drinks, culture, art and music.
Marrickville Metro first opened nearly four decades ago and the opening of the new site will signal a new era with a combination of independent and established operators that bring a mix of fresh concepts, unique fit-outs, and re-imagined menus to their stores within Marrickville Metro.
The opening festivities, being held from Thursday 10 June to Monday 14 June, are an opportunity for the local community and wider Sydney to enjoy a range of retailer offerings combined with a sensory exploration through art, music and creative workshops.
From 10am on Thursday 10 June, recycled ribbon made from salvaged materials will declare the precinct open. The ribbon will be accompanied with colourful seed paper confetti made from native daisy and guests will be able to collect the confetti and take it home to plant in their gardens.
Smidmore Street will be home to over 10 new dining options with bite-sized food sampling stations set up at opening, giving visitors the opportunity to try the new offers. A mix of restaurant concepts and quick bites will make their way to Marrickville Metro including Rice Pantry, Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen, The Grumpy Italian, C9 Gelato and more.
Throughout launch weekend, local re-use centre, Reverse Garbage, will be selling unique craft kits alongside an educational workshop offering. Participants of the workshops will turn an old t-shirt into a shopping bag without using a needle and thread. There will also be dedicated sessions for kids known as the ‘Creators Club’ who can use unusual, recycled items to deliver a final product of their choice.
Li’l Crafters will set up at Marrickville Metro after school over four days for kids to take part in workshops playing with a mix of materials and trinkets including slime, junk jewellery, wool and mosaic terracotta.
Bio-Glitter tattooing will be available for kids during the entire launch period. The premium Australian biodegradable glitter is made from primarily eucalyptus and is sourced responsibly from managed plantations with a variety of designs to choose from. A kids Face Painting station will be set up also.
A mix of professional and local artists will set up across a variety of stages throughout the existing and new site. All Age Music will provide a unique and diverse mixture of live music from student bands to professional musicians. Across the launch period, over 10 local buskers will perform, as well as Junkyard Beats, an innovative and original group combining rhythm with movement, acting, and drumming in all styles using a combination of instruments and anything they can find.