Boroondara Farmers Market
A VFMA-accredited farmers market on Patterson Reserve run in partnership with the Rotary Club of Glenferrie, with every dollar at the gate going back to the community.
About this market
Boroondara Farmers Market runs on a schedule most markets do not attempt: the 3rd and 5th Saturday of each month, which means some months it appears twice and most months only once. It sets up on Patterson Reserve at 484 Auburn Road in Hawthorn, and the whole operation on market day is handed to the Rotary Club of Glenferrie, working in partnership with the City of Boroondara.
Accreditation is the point, not the paperwork
The market holds accreditation with the Victorian Farmers' Markets Association, and that is the difference worth understanding before you shop. VFMA accreditation means the person at the table grew, raised or made the produce in front of them, so the fruit and vegetables, herbs and olives, seasonal organic lines, meat and eggs, honey, bread and cakes, dips and sauces, wine and beer all trace back to a Victorian producer rather than a wholesale run. The Rotary partnership adds a second layer: proceeds from the market go into community initiatives instead of a management fee.
Market at a glance
Trading is 8am to 12.30pm, a four and a half hour window that closes earlier than a lot of Melbourne weekend markets. Patterson Reserve sits on Auburn Road with parking on the reserve carpark, and the City of Boroondara publishes the full year of dates in advance, which is genuinely useful given the irregular cadence.
The 2026 calendar shows how uneven the pattern gets in practice. August and October each carry two markets, on the 15th and 29th of August and the 17th and 31st of October, while July, September, November and December get a single date apiece. Two markets in one month and none for six weeks in another is the normal rhythm here rather than an exception.
Because it runs on the 3rd and 5th Saturdays, the market only appears twice in months long enough to have five Saturdays, and it skips the 5th Saturday entirely in December.
Good to know before you go
Check the published date list before you set out, since the 3rd-and-5th pattern trips people up more than any fixed weekly market would. Bring a $2 coin for the gate donation, and treat 12.30pm as a hard finish rather than a suggestion. The reserve carpark is the obvious place to leave the car, and the market is close enough to Auburn Road's shops to make a morning of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which Saturdays does the market run?
- The 3rd and 5th Saturday of each month, 8am to 12.30pm. The one exception is December, when the market does not run on a 5th Saturday.
- What does the $2 entry pay for?
- The gold coin donation supports Foundation Boroondara and the Rotary Club of Glenferrie, which manages the market on trading days and directs proceeds to community initiatives.
- Is it an accredited farmers market?
- Yes. It is accredited with the Victorian Farmers' Markets Association, so stallholders are the growers and makers of what they sell rather than resellers.