Port Stephens Council will trial a range of events and 'place activation' ideas in Nelson Bay from July to December under the banner of It's on!.

"More activity in the town centre means more people shopping, eating and spending time in our local businesses. It also creates a wonderful atmosphere for our locals and tourists, making the Bay a more inviting place to live, work and visit," Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer said of the new event.

The council has so far released a schedule of It's on! events for the month of July.

Apex Park will host Lunchtime Acoustics most Thursdays, Saturday Sessions, a kid's zone with animals and games on July 8, a boot camp each Tuesday morning and yoga every Wednesday of the month.

Rock 'n' Roll dance classes take place on the Stockton Street stage every Friday.

A story time and music for preschool-aged children will be held in the Yacaaba Street extension on the morning of July 28.

The council's economic development and tourism coordinator, Rachel Allen, said It's on! is about trialing new ideas to "see what works".

"We asked our community to tell us what type of activities they would like to see in Nelson Bay. The top responses were markets, public art, musical performances, outdoor cinema, evening initiatives and street performances," she said.

"Based on this feedback we're going to use the next six months to conduct a big experiment. Place activation is not about big budgets and big infrastructure. It's about creating unique and innovative experiences connected to our local identity.

"Thanks to funding from smart parking, we'll be trialing a whole range of different activities to understand what works for Nelson Bay and what doesn't.

"We'll test all aspects of the process and we'll be asking for feedback throughout to make sure we get the best outcome for our community, businesses and visitors.

"This data will help us deliver an annual place activation program for Nelson Bay which will continue to bring vibrancy and life to our streets."

The Medowie 7-Day Makeover in May and the Anna Bay town centre makeover in 2019 were other place activation initiatives that have taken place in Port Stephens where work was delivered using volunteers and minimal budgets.

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