Hobart is the place to go when it comes to markets. Hobart's markets are not just the best markets in Tasmania, but they are the best in the whole of Australia. In fact, the Hobart markets are the biggest tourist magnet of any attraction in the city. You will find here a wide range of markets, from high-quality but affordable artisan products all the way to flea markets for a plethora of second-hand goods. There are a good range of food markets, guaranteeing fresh and locally sourced produce, often a great place to go for a coffee while you watch the world go by. Some Hobart markets run daily, some once a week and a few a little less frequent. Visitors flock here not only from all over Tasmania but from Australia and even further afield. One thing is certain: Hobart gives a whole new meaning to the term 'market town'.
Every Saturday, from half past eight in the morning until three in the afternoon, Hobart's famous Salamanca Market is ready to welcome you to Tasmania's top tourist attraction. Salamanca Market is perfect for those of you in search of everything home-made and home-grown. With plenty of covered walkways, this is a market experience which the weather cannot spoil. In addition to having a chance to find truly one-of-a-kind items, Salamanca Market is lined with bars, cafes and art galleries. As a result, this is just as much a place to stroll through while you soak up the atmosphere as it is to do some actual shopping. If there is any place where you can feel free to browse with no obligation to buy, this is it. That said, with over three hundred stallholders lining the entire length of the market street, you will almost definitely find something to take home with you. In fact, with such a wealth of vendors it might feel as if it is easy to become lost. Never fear! Over by the main entrance is a booth where some very friendly volunteers can point you in the right direction of who is selling what and where. Get chatting with the makers, the growers, the producers and you will see why so many people flock here for a truly wonderful day out.
When you look at this one, it would be hard to believe that it all started with just twelve stallholders in the early two thousands. Come on over to Bathurst Street any Sunday from half past eight in the morning until one in the afternoon and you can enjoy the delights of Farm Gate Market, also known as Farmy. The original idea behind this market was simple: “If you couldn’t eat it, drink it, grow it or meet the producer, then you wouldn’t find it at Farmy”. Their ethos is still their guiding principle today. Farm Gate Market is one of the top five farmers' markets in Australia. Here you are definitely getting seasonal food, and it is so fresh that in most cases it was harvested the night before market day. Of all of Hobart's markets, or Tasmania's markets for that point, this is the best one to come to if you would like to learn all about where your food comes from. The person behind the stall is the person in charge of the food production itself, and all the vendors are happy to tell you all you could ever wish to know about how your freshest, most nutritious next meal appeared. Farm Gate Market is completely plastic-bag free, at least from the vendors' side.
On a practical side, Farm Gate Market is a place where you will find more vendors who accept card payments than those who accept cash, although plenty will accept both. There are ATMs dotted around the place and the area has good parking facilities nearby, along with fully accessible toilets and a parenting room. Please bear in mind that there is a no-dogs rule at Farmy. If you are trying to find Bathurst Street on your map of Hobart, you'll find it sandwiched between Elizabeth Street and Murray Street.
Hobart's markets include this little gem of a market within a market. The Grub Hub is part of Farmy itself, so if you come along to Farm Gate Market and feel a bit peckish then here is a great place for a spot of breakfast or a coffee. The Grub Hub, in an alcove of the main market street, opens half an hour before Farm Gate Market does and, in the same fashion as Farmy, has an ever-changing range of food on offer. The cuisine that you can tuck into is from a rotating series of ten vendors, featuring styles from all around the world, plus a local Tasmanian twist. On top of this, in true environmentally friendly fashion, all of the packaging materials are compostable.
Whichever day you are in Hobart, this one is open from half past eight in the morning all the way to six in the evening. Tasmanian Market sits by the waterfront at Brooke Street Pier and is definitely the place to go for top-quality Tasmanian crafts. The organisers of Tasmanian Market are careful to check the quality of everything before it goes on sale, giving this place a good reputation. Clothing such as scarves and sweaters are on sale alongside artisan soap and the most wonderful Tasmanian honey, to give just a few examples of what you can find here. On top of this, at Tasmanian Market it is possible to arrange for shipping, both within Australia and internationally, so don't worry if you did not bring quite enough bags-for-life with you!
On just a minor note, be careful not to confuse Tasmanian Market, in Hobart, with Tasmanian Produce Market. The latter is a farmers' market elsewhere in Tasmania, in Rosny park and not in Hobart.
How about a good old flea market? Come to Hobart Twilight Market and that is exactly what you can enjoy. There are in fact two of these. One is at Brook Street Pier and the other is a ten-minute drive from Hobart's Central Business District (CBD) at Long Beach, Sandy Bay, at an attractive location that overlooks the Derwent River. This one further out can be reached by a free shuttle bus from the CBD. Both take place every second Friday in the evening, from March to October.
Hobart Twilight Market is a family-friendly, and dog-friendly, place to enjoy a wander around the sort of once-used items now looking for a new home. On top of this, there is food and drink on offer as well as local live music. This means that Hobart Twilight Market is just as much a place to come to in order to soak up the atmosphere as it is for actual shopping. Tasmanian markets, and Hobart's markets in particular, often have this reputation and deservedly so.
Hobart's markets include this second flea market, the Re-loved Market. This takes place on the third Saturday of the month between ten in the morning and two in the afternoon, over in Bellerive Boardwalk. Older maps will show it as the K&D warehouse site. Naturally you can expect to find a wealth of second-hand equipment, as well as vintage and used clothing. It is also a wonderful place to find handmade goods. Plenty of food and drink is on hand from a variety of food vans if you get hungry wandering around the over fifty small businesses that ply their trade here, and the coffee is said to be great. Although not always guaranteed, there is a fairly good chance that you will get to hear some live music while you are here. What is more guaranteed is the quality of handmade goods. The organisers of Re-loved Market have a waiting list for the vendors of such items, as they would like to have some certainty of what is being put on sale so that customers are not disappointed. I think you will agree that this policy pays off, when you see the care and attention that the various artisans have put into their craft. In case you were wondering about the clothing, Re-loved Market also has a unisex changing area where you can try something on in privacy before deciding if it is your size or style.
While the former shopping experiences of The Barn Market, The Market-Central Hobart and MoMa-Mona Market have been defunct for a few years, every so often another market appears to take their place. Effectively what this means is that you may come across any number of previously unheard-of markets next time you pay a visit to Hobart. Such is the nature of Hobart's markets, which is all part of the charm of these ever-changing tourist attractions. So come along and enjoy the vibrancy, the food, the sights and sounds and discover why Hobart and its markets are such a magnet for visitors to Tasmania.
