Everyone Needs A Festival

For a long time now women have dominated the world of clothes, beauty and personal grooming.

Not content to let women grab all the attention, a group of small business owners from Melbourne’s City Precinct put their heads together and came up with a novel way to cater to the shopping needs of men – The Festival of Steve.

The City Precinct is one of eight trader associations funded by the City of Melbourne, whose 140 plus members are all boutique, or niche businesses, often located above awnings or down laneways, rather than on the main streets.

City Precinct Vice President and bespoke tailor, Carl Nave, said their group was looking for a way to promote the variety and quality of men’s fashion, grooming and entertainment found in their precinct, when they realised few events catered specifically to men.

The Festival of Steve, now in its fourth year, is an example of what can be achieved when precinct members work together towards a common goal.

‘It’s all about men’s style and grooming’, said Carl. ‘Men don’t shop in the same way as women, so we’ve created a non-threatening social environment. There are pool tournaments and poker tournaments and all sorts of things. It’s all about supporting local businesses and the people who like spending at local businesses’.

This year’s Festival of Steve will be held at Taxi Riverside, Federation Square, on 28 May, 11am to 6pm.