Maitland Community Markets
A monthly market of more than 100 stalls at the historic Maitland Showground, run by the Hunter River Agricultural and Horticultural Association.
About this market
Maitland Community Markets sets up more than 100 stalls at Maitland Showground, 50 Blomfield Street in South Maitland, on the first Sunday of every month from March to December, 9am to 1pm. It's run by the Hunter River Agricultural and Horticultural Association (HRA and HA), the not-for-profit community group that has owned and operated the showground for well over a century. Maitland itself sits on the Hunter River about 35 kilometres north-west of Newcastle, in the Lower Hunter Valley, and the showground has been one of the region's key gathering points for rural life since well before the city's population passed 89,000.
A showground market, not a car park pop-up
Trading across the showground's 84 acres gives Maitland Community Markets more breathing room than most suburban markets, with both indoor and outdoor stall positions. Stallholders sell handmade goods, homegrown produce and locally made products, alongside food trucks and casual entertainment on market days. The association runs the market as one of several public uses of the showground, alongside camping and event hire, keeping the venue active between its agricultural show calendar.
Market at a glance
Good to know before you go
Leashed dogs are welcome, and the showground takes cash and EFTPOS but has no on-site ATM, so it's worth sorting cash out beforehand if a stall doesn't take cards. Both casual and permanent stallholder positions are available for anyone wanting to sell rather than just browse. Being set back from Maitland's retail strip on showground land, the market trades with more space to move than a typical shopping-strip pop-up.
The market's host, the Hunter River Agricultural and Horticultural Association, was first constituted in 1843 and is believed to be the oldest continuously operating regional agricultural association on the Australian mainland.
The showground itself has hosted rural life celebrations since 1873, and the HRA and HA's roots as an agricultural association stretch back further still, giving Maitland Community Markets a genuinely old institution behind a modern monthly market day.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Maitland Community Markets held?
- Maitland Community Markets runs from 9am to 1pm on the first Sunday of each month, March through December, at Maitland Showground.
- Where is Maitland Community Markets located?
- It's held at Maitland Showground, 50 Blomfield Street, South Maitland NSW 2320.
- Are dogs allowed at Maitland Community Markets?
- Yes, leashed dogs are welcome at the market.
- What are Maitland Community Markets opening hours?
- The first Sunday of the month, 9am to 1pm. The market is at South Maitland, NSW.
- What time does Maitland Community Markets open?
- 9am to 1pm on the days it trades.