Ballarat Farmers Market
A market that moves indoors to the Showgrounds Equestrian Centre every winter, run since 2018 by the same manager who took over from a community group.
About this market
Ballarat Farmers Market has operated at Lake Wendouree for well over a decade, though its management has changed hands along the way. Local community group BREAZE ran the market from 2014 to 2018, with Steve Burns engaged as market manager throughout that period. When BREAZE's board decided in early 2018 that running a market wasn't part of its core direction, Steve took over full management from July that year, a role he's continued ever since.
A market that moves indoors every winter
What makes the market genuinely distinctive is its seasonal relocation: rather than simply battling through Ballarat's cold winters outdoors, the market moves entirely indoors to the Equestrian Centre at Ballarat Showgrounds through June, July and August, before returning to its usual Zoo Drive spot at Lake Wendouree for the rest of the year. Between 80 and 130 or more stalls trade here depending on the season, run on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.
Market at a glance
Reviewers consistently describe a great Saturday morning regardless of weather, joking about wellies and raincoats on wetter days, with a great variety of food, gifts, fruit and veg, and coffee, plus a dog-friendly policy that keeps the market popular even year after year of regular visits.
Ballarat Farmers Market genuinely relocates indoors every winter, moving the entire operation to the Equestrian Centre at Ballarat Showgrounds through June, July and August, rather than simply pushing through the region's cold outdoor conditions at Lake Wendouree.
Good to know before you go
Checking whether a visit falls during the indoor winter season or the outdoor Lake Wendouree season is worth doing, since the venue genuinely changes. Being on the second and fourth Saturday only, rather than weekly, makes confirming the calendar before a trip essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Ballarat Farmers Market held?
- The second and fourth Saturday of the month, 9am to 1pm, at Zoo Drive, off Wendouree Parade, at the northern end of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.
- Does it run all year?
- Yes, but its location changes with the seasons. Through the cooler winter months of June to August, the market relocates indoors to the Equestrian Centre at Ballarat Showgrounds, before returning outdoors to Lake Wendouree for the rest of the year.
- Who runs the market?
- Local community group BREAZE ran the market from 2014 to 2018, engaging Steve Burns as market manager. When BREAZE decided operating a market wasn't part of its core direction in 2018, Steve took on full management from July that year, a role he's held since.