Brunswick Heads Market

Memorial Park sits on the bank of the Brunswick River, a few minutes' walk from the town's shops and cafes, and on the first Saturday of the month it holds the market. The setting is the selling point. There are not many markets in the country where you can buy a coffee and then stand and drink it looking at a river mouth.

Artisan first, produce alongside

The stall mix leans towards makers: handmade goods, plants, candles and soaps, clothing, and a run of imported pieces among them. Fresh produce holds its own corner, and the hot food end of things is better than a monthly market of this size usually manages. It is a browse rather than a grocery run, which suits a six hour Saturday window.

Once a month is the thing to plan around. Brunswick Heads is a pleasant town on any day, but the difference between a market Saturday and an ordinary one is considerable, and people do arrive on the wrong weekend.

Good to know before you go

Get there before ten if you want to park anywhere near the park, because Brunswick Heads is small and a market Saturday fills it. The walk in from the streets behind the main strip is short and pleasant anyway. Take cash for the smaller makers and a bag for the produce. The market finishes at two, which leaves the afternoon for the river or the beach, and the Brunswick Heads pub is close enough that plenty of people make the market the first half of a longer day.