Sunshine Coast Collective Markets
A quarterly pop-up beside the Alex skate park, run during school holidays by the operator behind the Coolum Beach market and the local community association.
About this market
Sunshine Coast Collective Markets has been operating since 2016, and its Alexandra Headland site is the newer of its two homes. The operator's regular market is at Coolum Beach; the Alex market is a quarterly Saturday pop-up held during the Queensland school holidays, next to the Alex skate park and directly on the water, run in partnership with the Alexandra Headland Community Association.
Curated rather than filled
The operators describe the market as boutique and curated, with quality valued over quantity, and the stall brief backs that up: handmade products, restored vintage pieces and ethically sourced goods from creative small businesses. It is a deliberately smaller model than the big Sunshine Coast Sunday markets down the road at Cotton Tree and Fishermans Road, and the quarterly cadence is part of the same logic. Fewer dates mean the same stallholders are not spread thin across a monthly commitment, and the school holiday timing puts the market on the weekend when the Alexandra Headland foreshore is busiest anyway.
Market at a glance
The market is run by two people, Candace on event management and operations and Kodan on logistics and setup, which explains both the size of the thing and why it does not try to run every weekend. Stalls cover local artisans, food producers, growers and musicians.
The Alex market exists because a surf club and a community association made room for it. The operators call the site their second home to the regular Coolum Beach market, set up in partnership with the Alexandra Headland Community Association, and the Alexandra Headland Surf Lifesaving Club opens its own car park off Mari Street on market days so visitors have somewhere to leave the car. Look for the club logo on the gate entrance.
Good to know before you go
Check the calendar first: four Saturdays a year during the school holidays is not a schedule anyone remembers, and there is no fallback date. The site is next to the Alex skate park on Alexandra Parade, fully exposed to the water, so a hat and sunscreen matter more here than shade planning does. Parking is spread through the area with the surf club car park off Mari Street open for the market. Bring cash and a bag. If you miss the date, the operator's regular Coolum Beach market runs on its own schedule up the coast. This is Kabi Kabi country.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How often does the Alexandra Headland market run?
- Quarterly, as a Saturday pop-up during the Queensland school holidays. It is the operator's second site rather than its main one, so check the calendar for the next date.
- Where exactly is it?
- Next to the Alex skate park on Alexandra Parade, right on the water at Alexandra Headland.
- Where do I park?
- There is street and public parking through the area, and the Alexandra Headland Surf Lifesaving Club opens its car park off Mari Street for the market. Look for the club logo on the gate.