12 years of good times have made The Forage a big local event. Canberra’s street food festival has popped up in corners across the capital. This year Belconnen has won and on Saturday 1 August, will be hosting The Forage  right on the water at Emu Bank Inlet. Yes, Southsiders, it is finally time to head over the bridge. 

 

Lakeside Sunsets and the Return of the Flame 

Emu Bank is about to look very different. The crew is transforming the boardwalk into a glowing lakeside feast, complete with the one thing everyone has been begging for: the return of the giant community bonfire. It is the ultimate excuse to swap your usual power-walk around Lake G for a local craft beer and a front-row seat to the sunset over the water.

 

 

The Under-$18 Rule 

Let’s talk about the food, because the team behind the event has laid down a serious rule for 2026: absolutely nothing on the menu is over $18. In this economy, that is a massive win. You can actually assemble a multi-course feast with your mates without needing to consult your bank account first. 

We’re talking molten goodness from Le Cheeserie, who are serving up fresh Sals Pastificio pasta tossed straight out of a giant, hollowed-out wheel of Australian parmesan. There are also the legendary, golden-crisp Brazilian pastries from Mr B Pastel, fried-to-order burgers from BZ Burger, and the team from Incendia Events x Eschalot, who are bringing serious live-fire cooking to the lake. If you want to get hands-on, they are running intimate fire-cooking masterclasses throughout the afternoon—though you’ll want to grab tickets fast, as they are almost sold out. 

 

Samba, Fire Dancers, and Good Green Vibes 

It wouldn’t be The Forage without a massive side of entertainment. The lineup is packed, starting with acoustic sets by Nick Rigby and Minh Ha, leading into high-energy roaming dancers from 6th Position Studios, a full-blown samba band, and spectacular fire performances by Alias Performances as night falls. 

Plus, the festival is taking its first major step toward going completely green. They’ve teamed up with Jillamatong Farm and Waste Away to make sure all food and drink packaging is entirely compostable. All you have to do is make sure you put your scraps in the right bin. Easy. 

 

EVENT INFORMATION:  

Location: Emu Bank Inlet, Belconnen  

Dates/Times: Saturday 1 August 2026, 12:00pm to 7:00pm  

Ticketing/Booking: Free entry, with some ticketed masterclasses.  

Find out more HERE