12 Best Canberra Markets To Visit | Australian Traveller

Whether you’ve come to Canberra for the city’s incredible restaurant scene or to visit some of Australia’s best museums, no stay is complete without a trip to the markets.

Take your pick – there are 12 excellent markets that happen around Canberra, with most popping up each week and some reserved for the season. These are where you’ll find incredible local produce, handmade gifts, vintage fashion and everything else you’d need for a successful shopping haul when visiting our nation’s capital.

Farmers Markets

Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets

When: Thursday – Sunday, 7am – 5:30pm
Address: 36 Mildura St, Fyshwick

The quirky suburb of Fyshwick may not have many residents – only 52 people live there – but the communal vibes are strong at Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets . From Thursday through Sunday, each week here is packed with rows of fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables, deli items, seafood and artisanal bread. Locals swear by the institution, which has been around for 50 years, and visitors always find an essential piece of Canberra to take home with them. You’ll also find some specialty stalls selling wine so it’s a great place to restock the collection.

artisanal bread on display at Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets, Canberra — Pick up artisanal bread from Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets is also home to Niche Markets, which is an extension and runs at the same time with a bigger focus on local craftspeople selling everything from fresh flowers to homewares. Browse Canberra’s finest makers to a soundtrack of live music – it’s become a favourite pastime for locals.

When: Thursday – Sunday, 7am – 5:30pm
Where: 36 Mildura St, Fyshwick

Saturday Markets

The Little Burley Market

When: Saturday, 9am – 1:30pm (closed in winter months)
Address: Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600

No other weekly market in Canberra has a stronger sense of identity than The Little Burley Market .

market stalls at Little Burley Market, Canberra — Shop gourmet foods, artisan wares and seasonally-themed goods. (Image: VisitCanberra)

A favourite for locals and visitors, this Saturday market is set on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin with some of Canberra’s finest showing up each week.

an aerial view of people shopping around the stalls at The Little Burley Market, Canberra — The Little Burley Market is a local favourite. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Browse through a selection of gourmet foods, artisan wares and seasonally-themed goods from notable stallholders like Deep Blue Ceramics and Dedas Smokehouse. It’s a great way to start the day.

making takoyaki in one of the food stalls at The Little Burley Market, Canberra — Fuel yourself while you shop. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Capital Region Farmer’s Market

When: Saturday, 7am – 11:30am
Address: Exhibition Park, Old Well Station Rd, Mitchell

In 2004, the Capital Region Farmer’s Market began as a way for farmers and local producers to offer fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and other products directly to the customer. It’s grown immensely since then, becoming Canberra’s biggest farmer’s market and one of the most valuable in Australia. Pick up a fresh loaf from Bush Bread of Australia, plate up some fresh tagliatelle from Norma Maria’s Pasta or hit up Banjo’s Oysters for some freshly shucked treats. There are more than 125 stallholders so you’ll easily find a few things you love.

Sunday Markets

Old Bus Depot Markets

When: Sunday, 9:30am – 2:30pm
Address: 21 Wentworth Ave, Kingston

Old Bus Depot Markets is Canberra’s most popular weekly market and has been standing tall for over 30 years.

the exterior of Old Bus Depot Markets, Canberra — Old Bus Depot Markets has become a renowned Canberra institution. (Image: VisitCanberra)

The huge market is shaped into an old industrial space that once housed the Old Bus Depot building – hence the obvious name – and pops up every Sunday with over 200 stalls selling the best in fashion, accessories, art, furniture, and produce.

shoppers at Old Bus Depot Markets, Canberra — Check out over 200 stalls at Old Bus Depot Markets. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Buy some homemade jam or a statement-making art piece and then celebrate your find at the curated Gourmet Food Hall.

bread from Old Bus Depot Markets, Canberra — Take home sweet and flaky treats from Old Bus Depot Markets. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Haig Park Village Markets

When: Sunday, 8:30am – 2pm
Address: Cnr Lonsdale St and Girrahween St, Braddon

If you’re looking for a leafy weekend market with a strong sense of community, you’ll find it in Haig Park near the heart of Braddon.

a mother and son at a plant stall in Haig Park Village Markets, Canberra — Shoppers flock to Haig Park Village Markets on Sundays. (Image: Haig Park Village Market, Martin Ollman)

Haig Park Village Markets goes down each Sunday from 8:30am to 2pm, always offering a family-friendly day out with local musicians and mostly farmers produce sitting alongside pastries, fresh juices, sandwiches and more.

Head on down, grab some bites and set up a picnic in the park – it’s the best way to do it.

picnic chairs under the trees at Haig Park Village Markets, Canberra — Spend a family-friendly day out at Haig Park Village Markets. (Image: Haig Park Village Market, Martin Ollman)

When: Sunday, 8:30am – 2pm
Where: Cnr Lonsdale St and Girrahween St, Braddon, ACT 2612

Southside Farmer’s Market

When: Sunday, 7am – 11:30am
Address: 2 Launceston St, Phillip

Head out to the picturesque suburb of Phillip to find Southside Farmer’s Market every Sunday. Opening at 7am and only running until 11:30am, the Canberra food markets pitch the region’s best produce tied up in mouth-watering foods like ready-to-eat pies, pastries and artisan cheeses. Stock up on homemade jams, oils and sauces, flowers, fish, eggs, honey and more.

fresh produce at Southside Farmer’s Market, Canberra — Southside Farmer’s Market pitches the region’s best produce.

Hartley Hall Markets

When: First Sunday of every month, 10am – 3pm
Address: Gladstone St, Hall ACT 2618

Held on the first Sunday of each month, the Hartley Hall Markets typically draws in a very mixed crowd and is a favourite for day-trippers as it’s one of Australia’s largest markets of artisan goods and produce. The markets are fun out of Hall Village Showground by Hartley Lifecare and have been around since 1987, growing exponentially with a long list of stallholders selling baked goods, fresh produce, unique gifts, children’s toys and more. Like most Canberra markets, it’s also dog-friendly so you’ll have to resist petting every pup you see while shopping around. Entry is by gold coin donation.

people strolling around the stalls at Hartley Hall Markets, Canberra — Visit Hartley Hall Markets every first Sunday of every month.

Clothes Markets

Three Sixty Fashion Markets

When: Four times a year with no set dates (announced via social media)
Address: Fitters’ Workshop, Printers Way, Kingston

Three Sixty Fashion Markets are part of the wider Canberra Markets collective and only pop up 3-4 times a year on alternative dates in March, June, September and November. Starting at 10am, the niche market pulls together Canberra’s best local labels and independent designers for a range of vintage, retro and high-quality fashion. Only gently used or new goods are accepted, packing Kingston’s Fitters Workshop with rows of the year’s best looks.

Occasional Markets

Canberra Kids Market

When: Twice a year with no set dates (dates announced via social media)

Address: Fitters’ Workshop, Printers Way, Kingston ACT 2604

The Canberra Kids Market typically only comes around twice a year with no set date. Times are always announced on the popular market’s social media channels with most years usually getting one in March and one in November. It’s the best place to shop for kids in Canberra, especially those aged 0-12 years old with a massive range of clothes, toys, baby care, cots, strollers, prams, car seats, party supplies and more goods that focus on giving parents an affordable yet high-quality selection of kids essentials.

Handmade Market

When: Quarterly, check the website for dates and times
Address: Exhibition Pavilion, Flemington Rd, Mitchell, ACT 2911

The quarterly Handmade Market celebrates food and design in equal measure, sticking to the Canberra region with a strong sense of place and community. It’s a great thing to do in Canberra if you’re looking for any unique gifts to take home with the scope including pottery, one-of-a-kind wrapping paper, plants, candles and more. There are over 250 stalls so you’ll surely find something. Plus, the market even offers a “low sensory shopping hour" (9am – 10am) for people with mobility difficulties and sensory sensitivities.

the crowded Handmade Market in Canberra — Find something you love from over 250 stalls at Handmade Market.

The article is originally written by Melissa Mason with updates by Chris Singh.

Discover the best things to do in Canberra.

The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park — Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay — A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento — Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

Playing there

an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse — Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

Eating there

Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.

12 of the best markets in Canberra