Strath Creek Country Market
A make it, bake it, grow it market in the Pioneer Reserve at Strath Creek, run by the local progress association on the third Sunday of the month.
About this market
Strath Creek is a small settlement in the hills north of Melbourne, in the Mitchell Shire, and its country market is run by the Strath Creek Progress Association rather than a commercial operator. It works to a simple rule, make it, bake it or grow it, which keeps the stalls to people selling their own work. The market fills Pioneer Reserve on the third Sunday of the month from 9am to 1pm.
The make it, bake it, grow it rule
That rule is what gives a small market its pull. It rules out imported stock and resold goods, so what is on the tables is the work of makers, bakers and growers from the surrounding district. In a hamlet this size the market would not survive as a general bazaar competing with larger towns; as a producers market with a clear standard, it draws people who have driven in specifically.
The reserve setting does a lot of work too. Pioneer Reserve gives the market shade, open grass and a playground, and the market builds on that with live music, coffee and hot food. The result reads more like a monthly community gathering that happens to involve shopping than a transaction you get in and out of, and the stallholder mix rewards a slow walk around.
Market at a glance
Worth knowing before the drive
Strath Creek is genuinely rural, reached on country roads through the King Parrot Creek valley, and the drive in from Melbourne or from Seymour is part of the outing rather than a chore to get through. There is no large town centre to fall back on, so the market is the event: arriving with a couple of hours to spend makes more sense than a quick stop.
The market is run by the Strath Creek Progress Association, a local volunteer body, and holds to a make it, bake it or grow it rule, so stallholders sell their own work rather than bought in stock.
Take cash as well as a card. Small community markets of this kind vary stall by stall on payment, and a settlement this size has limited backup if a stallholder's connection drops out. The market and the Strath Creek community website both post each month's details, and Mitchell Shire lists the market in its events calendar, so there are several places to confirm a date.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is the Strath Creek Country Market on?
- The third Sunday of every month, from 9am to 1pm.
- Where is it held?
- At Pioneer Reserve, 10 Ferguson Street, Strath Creek.
- Is it suitable for children?
- Yes. The reserve has a playground, and the market regularly runs face painting alongside live music and hot food.
- What are Strath Creek Country Market opening hours?
- The third Sunday of the month, 9am to 1pm. The market is at Strath Creek, VIC.
- What time does Strath Creek Country Market open?
- 9am to 1pm on the days it trades.