The Playful Plate Comes to the Coast

Sometimes a project comes along that feels like circus without ever stepping inside the studio. Something brave, unexpected, playful, and built entirely on human connection. That’s exactly what’s arriving on the Central Coast this December.

The Playful Plate is a tiny outdoor restaurant with nothing to eat and everything to feel. Created by Alicia Gonzalez and Gordon & Gonzalez and supported by Central Coast Council’s Creative Art Central program, it’s a gentle experiment in sitting with strangers, sharing stories, and remembering how to be fully present with one another.

Instead of ordering food, you’re invited to offer a word, a memory, a fragment, or a bit of joyful nonsense. Your contributions become the “meal,” served across a glowing table by two fools who guide you through the ritual. It’s part game, part theatre, part social magic, and somehow exactly what the world needs right now.

We love seeing artists create work that nurtures imagination in public spaces, especially when it invites people of all ages to slow down, breathe, and connect. If you’re looking for something tender, playful, and completely unlike anything else on the Coast, this is it.

Festival dates:

Umina Beach: Sat 6 + Sun 7 December, 3–8pm

The Entrance: Sat 13 + Sun 14 December, 3–8pm

Free, family-friendly, no bookings required. EVENT UPDATES

"Alicia, we’re cheering you on."

Alicia Gonzalez is the facilitator of The Clown Institute’s Fools Monthly Playground workshops we host here at Roundabout Circus.

TASTE THE MAGIC