The Central Coast Farmers Market

The Central Coast Farmers Market runs every Sunday morning at Gosford Showground, opening at 7am and finishing at midday. Weekly is the thing that sets it apart in a region where most markets are monthly, and it means the market functions as the region's Sunday produce shop rather than as an event people put in the calendar.

Growers, oyster farmers and bakers

The stall list is built around Central Coast producers: locally grown seasonal fruit and vegetables, oyster growers working the estuaries, orchardists, grass fed meats, artisanal cheeses and small batch baked goods, with artisan homewares, boutique beverages and handmade skincare filling out the non food side. Brunch is part of the format rather than an afterthought, and there is live music through the morning. The organisers run it as an all weather event, which for a showground with permanent structures is a claim they can actually keep. Dogs are welcome on a short leash and there are play areas for children, both of which tell you the market expects families rather than serious early shoppers alone.

A 7am start is early even by farmers market standards, and it rewards turning up at the front of the window. The best of the produce goes first, and the crowd thickens considerably after nine. Running weekly also changes what the market can carry: growers can plan around a Sunday every week rather than one a month, which is why the produce side holds up across the seasons instead of thinning out between harvests.

Worth knowing before Sunday

Weekly, 7am to 12pm, rain or shine. Showground Road is close to central Gosford and there is parking on site, but arriving before eight makes both the parking and the produce easier. Bring bags, a mix of cash and card, and a lead if the dog is coming. Gosford station is a short distance away, which makes this one of the more train accessible farmers markets in the state. This is Darkinjung country.