One of Sydney’s most loved food festivals, Bankstown Bites, is set to bring a world of flavours to Griffith Park and Olympic Parade on Saturday 27 July.

And when your belly is full, visitors are invited to escape to the adjoining Bankstown Arts Centre for an immersive experience with the launch of its latest exhibition Coffee & SerendipiTea.

This multi-sensory exhibition explores the world of chance encounters with tea and coffee through a hybrid coffee shop and teahouse setting.

Yumi Umiumare’s Popup Tearoom will see visitors become part of the artwork, with a virtual space to embrace elements of the ‘unknown’ over a bowl of matcha tea.

“The inspiration for a pop-up tearoom came from the classic Japanese tea ceremony, which has a small door where people have to bow to enter, dropping the hierarchy of the outside world,” Umiumare said.

“The major role of the tea ceremony was to relieve emotional stress, restore social order, and capture the silent interactions in a tearoom.”

While Pamela Leung’s wall installation, neon sculptures, photography, video and performance art will explore the concept of identity, using the coffee shop as a microcosm for society.

“It examines how we can choose to participate in social spaces and how it’s often more challenging for immigrants to immerse themselves fully into society,” Leung said.

“Having run a café, I’ve witnessed firsthand how these drinks bring people together, fostering conversations and community. Whether it’s a morning cup of coffee to start the day or an afternoon tea break, these rituals are woven into the fabric of our everyday existence.”

Bankstown Arts Centre will be open all day during Bankstown Bites, with a full program of art markets, craft workshops, film screenings and live music.

The official gallery opening is at 2pm, with the formal launch by Dr Natalie Seiz, Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales at 2.45pm. Umiumare’s butoh dance performance and Leung’s performative and collaborative coffee artwork will be held at 3pm. 

Other highlights of the food festival include dozens of food stalls, tantalising tasting tours, master classes and cooking demonstrations by celebrity chef Anna Polyviou and her mum, Eugina.

Chill out in the Bites Backyard, brought to you by Bankstown Sports, with barefoot bowls and garden games for the whole family.

And the little ones can get involved in a number of free activities in the Bites Corner, with face painting, Kids in the kitchen and Little Umbrella Boutique workshops.

There will also be a jam-packed program of on-stage entertainment featuring the Bankstown Talent Advancement program, phat brass and around the world dance group.

For details on the Bankstown Bites food festival, visit wih.city/BankstownBites

The Coffee & SerendipiTea exhibition runs from 27 July-7 September. For more information, visit cb.city/CoffeeAndTea