The Olive Tree Market

The Olive Tree Market was co-founded in 2008 by Justine Gaudry in the grounds of The Junction Public School, with the idea of giving Newcastle's contemporary artists and designers somewhere to sell directly to the public. It outgrew the playground and moved into Civic Park, where it now runs monthly on the first Saturday from 9am to 2pm as one of the city's largest regular events.

A hundred makers, curated rather than collected

The stall list is curated rather than first-come, which is the defining feature. Over 100 vendors trade each month, a deliberate mix of emerging makers and established names across art, design, craft and food. Across more than 115 market days the organisers count over 800 creative businesses that have traded here, and for many of them Olive Tree was the first place they sold face to face rather than through a screen. Live independent music plays through the day, street food vendors cover lunch, and workshops and commission conversations happen alongside the stalls.

Civic Park suits it. The park sits between the civic buildings and Darby Street, so the market lands in the middle of Newcastle's café and gallery strip rather than out on a showground, and the shade trees make a five-hour Saturday comfortable in summer. The calendar is broadly the first Saturday of each month, with an extra date added in November when Christmas shopping season pushes demand up.

Good to know before you go

The first Saturday is the rule but not an absolute one, so check the published date list before travelling, particularly around November and December. Come early if you are hunting a specific maker, since the popular stalls sell through their one-off pieces well before the 2pm close. Darby Street parking is tight on market Saturdays and the park is an easy walk from the light rail, which is the less stressful option. Bring cash as a backstop even though most traders take cards.