After a six-year hiatus, Urban Ventures is back — and it’s bringing the block party energy to one of Singapore’s most character-rich neighbourhoods this September. Presented by LOPELAB and Ice Cream Sundays, in partnership with DesignSingapore Council and supported by Enterprise Singapore, Find Your Folks @ Jalan Besar will run from 11–21 September as part of Singapore Design Week, blending music, design, food, and community spirit into a two-part street celebration.
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Makers’ Trail – 11 to 19 September
Kicking off the festivities is the Makers’ Trail, a public design and storytelling journey across Jalan Besar’s independent businesses and creative spaces. Visitors can discover a series of site-specific public benches co-designed with local F&B and retail heroes like Druggists, Average Service, Community Coffee, and The Fashion Pulpit. These installations, made from materials sourced from the neighbourhood’s industrial suppliers, are as functional as they are symbolic — places to pause, connect, and immerse yourself in the stories that give Jalan Besar its soul.
Each bench comes with a QR code, offering open-source blueprints for anyone to download and recreate. “After six years, it feels meaningful to mark Urban Ventures’ return with Find Your Folks @ Jalan Besar, not just as a street party but as a deeper, more intentional experience,” says Lorenzo Petrillo, founder of LOPELAB. “We want people to explore, sit down, and truly connect with this neighbourhood.”
Street Festival – 20 & 21 September
The energy peaks during the Street Festival, when Hamilton Road transforms into a block party brimming with music, food, and interactive experiences. Expect pop-up eats from Jalan Besar favourites like Wild Coco and Druggists, a thrift and swap market with The Fashion Pulpit, and family-friendly craft sessions from PLAY!.
Music lovers will be thrilled by the return of BREW, the beloved event series from local collective Darker Than Wax, to Chye Seng Huat Hardware. The event (which makes its comeback at AIR CCCC's outdoor lawn this month) was first launched in the courtyard of CSHH. BREW famously helped turn Tyrwhitt Road into a dance floor during its legendary 2019 street party edition. This September, it comes home, bringing a sonic spread of deep, soulful cuts and eclectic grooves.
“Jalan Besar has always been full of soul, and we’re excited to spotlight its makers and small businesses in new, collaborative ways,” shares Daniel O’Connor, co-founder of LOPELAB. “Partnering with the DesignSingapore Council and Enterprise Singapore has allowed us to reimagine Urban Ventures as a bridge between design, culture, and community — and the return of BREW is a perfect symbol of that.”
Alongside BREW, the festival will feature sets from Tropika, 5210PM, and Revision Music, plus the city’s first mobile, solar-powered sound system courtesy of Nomad Solar Sound. Skate enthusiasts can look forward to a Skate Jam curated by Millennial Events & Advisory, while street chess, live art, and interactive installations round out the programme.
