Corinella Community Market
A second-Saturday market at Harold Hughes Reserve on Western Port, with more than 30 indoor and outdoor stalls and a sausage sizzle.
About this market
The Corinella Community Market takes over Harold Hughes Reserve on the second Saturday of every month, on the corner of Smythe and Balcombe Streets, in a village on the eastern shore of Western Port. It runs to 1pm with more than 30 stalls, indoors and out, and its own council listing sets the tone: bring the family, bring the dog, and expect fresh produce, arts and crafts, garden goods, coffee and a sausage sizzle.
A market that does not mind the weather
The indoor and outdoor split is the practical detail here. Stalls run both inside the reserve buildings and outside on the grounds, and Visit Bass Coast calls the combination an all-weather market, which is worth knowing before you write off a grey forecast. The range is what a small coastal town produces: fresh produce, plants, fresh eggs, bric-a-brac, arts and crafts, garden bits, and specialty food including jams, chutney and breads. Entry is free, and Bass Coast Shire lists the market on its own events calendar with dates published more than a year ahead. The contact is a person rather than an office, Gwen Bowden on 0490 852 753.
Market at a glance
The village hosting this market was a British garrison before Melbourne existed.
Corinella was a military outpost in 1826, sent from Sydney with soldiers and 21 convicts to head off a suspected French claim on Western Port after the explorer Dumont d'Urville surveyed it. The site was then called Settlement Point. Two years later the whole thing was abandoned as unfit for farming, and the buildings were burnt so escaped convicts could not use them.
Good to know before you go
Get there in the morning. The market finishes at 1pm, and its two council listings disagree about whether it opens at 8am or 9am, so treat anything after about 11am as the back half of the day. Harold Hughes Reserve is on the corner of Smythe and Balcombe Streets in the middle of the village, so parking is street parking and everything is within a couple of minutes' walk. Bring cash for the smaller stalls, a bag for produce and eggs, and the dog if you have one, since leads are all that is asked. Corinella is a small village of about 1,180 people on the Bass Coast, so this is a local market rather than a regional event, and it is over by early afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is the Corinella Community Market on?
- The second Saturday of every month, finishing at 1pm. Visit Bass Coast lists it as 9am to 1pm and Bass Coast Shire's own events listing shows an 8am start, so arriving early is safe.
- How many stalls are there?
- More than 30, spread across indoor and outdoor sites, so the market runs in any weather.
- Can I bring the dog?
- Yes. Dogs on leads are welcome, and there is coffee and a sausage sizzle on site.