Boxing, yoga, café trail: Joo Chiat merchants band together to debut car-free street party on Oct 3

SINGAPORE - Joo Chiat has more than just colourful shophouses, and its merchants want visitors to know.

A group of them are spearheading efforts to spotlight the rest of the neighbourhood by going door to door to convince fellow business owners to step out of their shophouses to engage customers.

This will be part of Land Transport Authority’s World Car-Free Day on Oct 3, which will close the area between Dunman Road and East Coast Road to traffic.

There will be a boxing ring in the middle of Joo Chiat showcasing boxing championships and free trials, non-stop wellness activities like street-side yoga, complimentary pet checks, and a café-and-bar discovery trail where visitors can sample signature coffees and craft beers.

Edmond Wong, president of the Katong-Joo Chiat Business Association (KJCBA), said the precinct has never lacked visitors, but its real challenge has always been footfall concentration. For example, tour buses frequently drop off passengers at Koon Seng Road for quick photo opportunities.

“People gather at one or two famous junctions while a passionate shopkeeper metres down the very same road watches the evening pass by,” said Wong.

The inaugural Joo Chiat Street Social, held from 3.30pm to 9.30pm, will see up to 90 Joo Chiat businesses based in different roads and alleys set up shop temporarily along a 530-metre car-free stretch of Joo Chiat Road.

The social aims to invite visitors to step inside spaces they might otherwise walk right past, and to encourage them to return in the future and make “meaningful human connections that far outlast any fleeting photograph”, said Wong.

It will not be a one-off spectacle, said the third-generation owner of Nonya dumpling store Kim Choo Kueh Chang. “We fully intend to nurture it forward. However, we want to listen and learn before fixing a rigid schedule.”

“Our precinct is blessed with intimate side lanes, leafy five-foot ways, and back alleys that are perfectly suited for smaller, regular, and deeply personal community gatherings throughout the year,” he added.

Planning the event began in July.

“We went door to door for this one. Every business along Joo Chiat Road is different, so we’ve really built the evening shop by shop, and some of the most ambitious ideas have come from the smallest businesses,” said Hannah James, KJCBA’s head of placemaking and design director with Aspex of Design in Joo Chiat.

Examples include Ojas Yoga & Wellness, which brought together most of the neighbourhood yoga, pilates, and wellness-based merchants to hold yoga classes and demonstrations on the street.

Kaboodle, an indoor play space, is looking at creating a large-scale children’s play area on the street using its blue play blocks.

Past efforts to draw crowds to the area include its annual year end light-up and the launch of a floor mural stretching nearly 100m near 241 Joo Chiat Road in 2025.

Asked if there were any target visitor numbers, Wong said the event’s success will not be defined by headcount targets.

“Success is about meaningful connection. Did a visitor walk the full length of the road with an open heart? Did an independent artisan who pours their life into a small shop finally meet customers who appreciate their craft? That is the true measure that matters to us.”

Lawyer William da Silva, who grew up in the area, said: “I think it’s a great idea. It will be fun to turn Joo Chiat into a walking street even if just for a few hours.”

Vincent Choon, a resident who helps his son-in-law with delivery for Ah Yee’s Soon Kueh in Joo Chiat, feels the social will “enliven the neighbourhood” with more visitors. He hopes to see less traffic congestion and more local food, as he misses the old street stalls along Dunman Road and Joo Chiat Road from the past.

Another aspect the team considered in organising the event was to ensure that those living in the area can still access it and to protect their peace, Wong said.

Joo Chiat resident Serena Shum, who is also a veterinarian at Meraki Vets in the precinct, said there are practical challenges to operating along a busy heritage shophouse stretch - in particular access and parking.

“Weekends can get particularly busy, so we remind our clients to arrive a little earlier for their appointments to give themselves enough time to get through the traffic and find parking,” she said. “But being somewhere with such a distinct identity and community makes those challenges worthwhile.”

Growing fame and footfall

Benjamin Tan, chief executive officer of custom motorcycle shop and bar Creo Customs, said there has been a shift in visitor demographics in recent years since the area earned recognition as a growing tourism hotspot, heritage node, and one of the world’s coolest streets.

Beyond tourists taking photos of shophouses, he has seen shoppers and food lovers visiting specifically for retail and dining.

“Our street needs to span various interest groups to remain viably interesting for all to spend time here, with the only true spirit being an eclectic mix,” said Tan.

The Joo Chiat Street Social is then a ground-up effort by the merchants in the community to showcase this unique blend, he added.

Local authorities have over the years sought to help Joo Chiat attract visitors.

In February, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said it would spotlight “hidden gems” such as Joo Chiat as part of its “We don’t wait for fun” campaign across nine markets. 

In 2011, the historic hub for Peranakan culture here was named Singapore’s first Heritage Town by the National Heritage Board (NHB), while in 2024 the precinct became NHB’s heritage activation node with street festivals, guided tours and talks.

British media group Time Out also named Joo Chiat among the top 15 coolest streets in the world in 2025.

Archana Amlapure, founder and chief executive officer of Ojas Yoga & Wellness, said in recent years, she has observed an influx of international visitors, expatriates, and young families alongside its long-standing neighbourhood regulars, all drawn to the area’s rich cultural heritage.

To cater to the evolving crowd, she has expanded beyond traditional practices to new programmes like sound-bowl healing sessions, posture alignment, wall rope classes, and restorative sessions for urbanites and travellers.

Danny Fleury, owner and manager of Spartans Boxing Club, has also observed an uptick in foot traffic. He said he wants to give back to the community through occasional “family day block parties” where customers can hang out at the gym for free.

While the crowds have grown significantly, global visibility can come with a real risk of superficiality, said KJCBA’s Wong. Visitors often rush to famous shophouse facades, take a few good photographs for social media, and leave within minutes.

“We want our precinct’s visitors to slow down,” he said. “Through our experiential trails and initiatives like Joo Chiat Street Social, we are giving our patrons and visitors to our precinct compelling reasons to linger, to converse, and to appreciate our cultural depth.”