News

February 24, 2025 | IN Together Magazine | BY AVID | 3 min read

As the saying goes, good things come in threes, and AVID’s signature Long Table Dinner is a perfect example. This calendar highlight for residents across our Queensland communities, brings people together through shared plates, live entertainment, and, last but certainly not least, community bonding. 

Staying true to its “Hi Neighbour!” tagline, AVID’s Greenbank community Covella—which has been a collaborative project with Greenfields Development Company—hosted its annual Long Table Dinner on Saturday 16 March. Over 250 residents gathered for this special night filled with lively conversation and the start of many lasting friendships.  

In recent years, the event has been held on Relationship Australia’s annual Neighbour Day and has been heavily inspired by old school Australian neighbourhood parties, where everyone brings a plate, the little ones run free, and the community enjoy conversations and camaraderie. 

“We look forward to seeing our community come together, especially in honour of Neighbour Day, to celebrate the most fundamental part of our community – each other,” said AVID Queensland Community Development Officer Sarah Tebbutt.

“It’s important residents connect with their neighbours and prioritise social connections and I’m proud the Covella community continue to do just that by showing up and engaging at these annual Long Table Dinners.”

Covella resident, Linda Sturges, reflects on the most recent Long Table Dinner, where she enjoyed a free family style food buffet and live music, whilst her kids enjoyed the henna art, face painting, balloon twisting, and dance party. 

“It was a lovely evening with great food, even better company, and entertainment for everyone to enjoy. My family and I look forward to attending next year’s event!” Linda said. 

A special highlight from this year’s Long Table event came in the form of a beautiful poem delivered by regular emcee Nick Grivis. Nick’s unwavering dedication to fostering community connection as the emcee for both Covella and Harmony’s Long Table Dinners, has helped these events make a name for themselves. 

“Nick has helped facilitate many of our Long Table events, and this year his poem was a beautiful tribute to the community of Covella, capturing the importance of home, the Australian dream, and what a neighbourhood can truly mean,” Sarah explained. 

For AVID, getting to know your neighbours is just as important as building your new home, and that’s why it’s events like these hosted at Covella, and in AVID’s Sunshine Coast community, Harmony, that reinforce the importance of connections with those that live closest to you.

We look forward to sharing more resident stories from the Long Table Dinners across Queensland in our upcoming Together magazine editions.