Hornsby Twilight Markets

A night market in a pedestrian mall is a better idea than a night market in a car park, and Hornsby has the advantage of a mall that is already a thoroughfare. On the second Saturday of the month the Twilight Markets run from five until nine, which puts them squarely in dinner territory rather than shopping territory.

Four hours, and mostly about eating

Evening markets live or die on food, and the format here is built around that: stalls set up along the mall, people eat standing or on the mall seating, and the market gains a social character that a daytime market in the same space does not have. The retail side runs to craft and maker stalls, which suit browsing under lights better than produce does.

The mall is lit, sheltered in parts and directly beside Hornsby station, which removes the two usual obstacles to a night market: getting there and getting home.

Good to know before you go

Come hungry and come by train: Hornsby station is beside the mall and the market runs well past the point where parking becomes annoying. Bring a jacket in winter, because the mall funnels wind and four hours standing outside in July is colder than it looks from the car. Cash is worth having as a backup though most stalls take cards. If you want the food without the queue, arrive at five rather than seven, when the after-dinner crowd arrives.