The Original Open Market
Trading since 1982 at Christies Beach, with stall-site fees donated back to the local community.
About this market
The Original Open Market has traded at The Reserve on Beach Road, Christies Beach, since 1982, making it the longest-running open-air market on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Run as a non-profit, it turns the site fees sellers pay into direct donations back into the City of Onkaparinga community, a model that's now been running for over four decades.
Forty years of turning stall fees into community funding
That non-profit structure is the market's defining feature. Rather than pocketing proceeds, the organisers have channelled stall-site fees, from $15 for a vehicle-only space to $22 for a vehicle with a large trailer, into donations for local people, groups and charities within Onkaparinga. The running total sits above $150,000, a figure that reflects decades of steady Sunday trading rather than any single windfall. The effort has been recognised twice: City of Onkaparinga Community Event of the Year in 2008, and a nomination for the SA Tourism Award in 2016.
Market at a glance
Reviewers point to the classic open-market spread of fresh produce, plants, second-hand goods and bric-a-brac, plus a genuinely community feel that comes from decades of the same families setting up on the same reserve.
Since 1982, The Original Open Market has funnelled its stall-site fees into more than $150,000 of donations to local people and charities across the City of Onkaparinga, funding that came entirely from sellers paying to set up, not from shoppers at the gate.
Good to know before you go
The market runs on the first and third Sunday of the month only, not weekly, so it's worth checking a calendar before making the trip out to Christies Beach. Toilets are on site at The Reserve, and dogs are welcome, both details reviewers mention as making it an easy, low-stress morning out.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is The Original Open Market held?
- The first and third Sunday of every month, from 8am to 1pm, at The Reserve on Beach Road, Christies Beach.
- Is there an entry fee?
- Shoppers browse for free. Sellers pay a site fee instead, ranging from $15 for a vehicle-only space up to $22 for a vehicle with a large trailer, and that money is what funds the market's community donations.
- What is sold at the market?
- A genuine open-air mix: fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, arts and crafts, antiques, collectables, bric-a-brac and other second-hand goods, reflecting its long-running Flea and Vintage character.