Bassendean Markets

Most markets pick a day and stick with it. Bassendean Markets change with the calendar: from October to April they run as a night market on the last Saturday of the month, 4:30pm to 8:30pm, and from May to September they flip to a morning market on the last Sunday, 9am to 1:30pm. Same reserve, same organisers, completely different atmosphere.

Seventy stalls on the grass at BIC Reserve

The venue is BIC Reserve, a grassed park at the bottom of James Street behind the tennis courts. More than 70 stalls set up across it, mixing food trucks with local makers, community groups and small businesses. The retail side runs to crafts, local produce and creative goods, and the food side covers everything from savoury street food to sweet things and cold drinks. Live music and entertainment run through the session, and there are activities for children, which is why the summer night markets in particular fill up with families spread out on picnic rugs rather than shoppers walking a circuit.

The seasonal switch is a sensible answer to Perth weather. A 4:30pm start in January puts the market into the cool part of a hot day, and moving to 9am on a winter Sunday does the reverse. It also means Bassendean has a monthly market year round instead of the October to April season that a lot of Perth twilight markets settle for.

Good to know before you go

Check which season you are in before you leave, since the day of the week is the thing most likely to catch you out. Bring a picnic rug for the grass, a lead for the dog, and a card for the food trucks. Parking is street parking around the reserve rather than a dedicated car park, so allow a few extra minutes on a busy night. The reserve is a short walk from Bassendean station on the Midland line if you would rather not drive.