Penneshaw Market

Penneshaw's market has two kinds of dates in its calendar. The scheduled ones are the first Sunday of each month from October to April, 9am to 1pm, on the oval at 99 Middle Terrace, plus Easter Sunday. The unscheduled ones arrive by sea: the Penneshaw Progress Association also opens the market to welcome large cruise ships into the bay, depending on passenger numbers, and publishes those dates separately.

Kangaroo Island producers, on the island

The stalls are drawn from the island itself. The market's tourism listing describes it as a showcase for local artists, gardeners, growers, authors, photographers, artisans and small-scale food producers, which is a fair description of who lives on the Dudley Peninsula and what they make. Lunch is part of it rather than an afterthought, with island specialty food available on the day. Entry is free. The organiser is the Penneshaw Progress Association Inc, the local progress association rather than an events company, contactable on 0488 506 279 or at [email protected], and its listing in the island community directory covers local produce and products, souvenirs, entertainment, and meals and coffee.

The extra market days are the unusual part of this one.

Good to know before you go

Season first, then date. Between May and September there is no scheduled market at all, so a winter visitor to the island will not find one, and even in season it is one Sunday a month. If the forecast is poor, go anyway: the market falls back into the Penneshaw Hall beside the oval rather than cancelling, which is worth knowing before you write off a grey morning. Penneshaw sits on the Dudley Peninsula at the eastern end of Kangaroo Island, and 99 Middle Terrace is a short walk up from the waterfront. Bring cash for the smaller producers, and check the market's Facebook page before you sail if you are hoping to catch one of the cruise ship dates rather than a scheduled one.