8 Of Adelaide And South Australia's Best Markets

Is there anything better? An event when everyone comes together to celebrate the four Cs: clothing, cuisine, collectables and crafts.

Rapidly increasing throughout the state, South Australia’s markets source the very best of the best when it comes to produce – institutions like Adelaide Central Market and Barossa Farmers’ Market have kept visitors coming back for decades.

South Australia’s market scene is nothing if not community-oriented. Here, market stalls aren’t flashy or overpriced, they’re one-of-a-kind and humbly let the goods on offer speak for themselves. Exploring the state’s markets are also a great way to experience South Australia’s ethos: carefree and creative.

With plenty of markets setting up shop throughout the state every week, there’s something to please even the fussiest of punters.

1. Gilles at the Grounds

An insanely popular market, Gilles at the Grounds has been an Adelaide staple for over a decade.

Like many markets, this initiative encourages ethical fashion, through encouraging the purchasing of pre-loved goods, and reducing the negative effects of ‘fast fashion’.

After relocating from Gilles Street Primary School to the Adelaide’s Wayville Showgrounds in 2018, Gilles at the Grounds now proudly hosts up to 114 stallholders, allowing for a wider selection of pieces.

Shopping is not always as fun by yourself, so why not bring your four-legged friend for a day out also? Gilles at the Grounds is a dog-friendly marketplace – as long as your pooch is well-behaved!

Details: Gilles at the Grounds is located in the Adelaide Showgrounds’ Old Brick Dairy Pavilion. Stalls are open from 10am–4pm on market days.

Giles at the Grounds markets adelaide — Look up at Giles at the Grounds (Credit: The Coffee Bible)

2. Round She Goes

Occurring only three times a year, Round She Goes is one of Adelaide’s biggest fashion markets, specialising in pre-loved fashion.

Sydney and Melbourne residents may be familiar with Round She Goes, as the markets come to them three times a year also.

For just $2 entry, Round She Goes promises a bargain and vintage treasures that will transform your wardrobe. And with over 50 stalls to choose from, marketgoers have a plethora of options to choose from.

Details: Round She Goes is located in the Goodwood Community Centre. The last market date for the year is November 30 2019, from 10am-3pm.

round she goes adelaide market — Vintage treasures at Round She Goes Market Adelaide

3. Adelaide Central Market

You can’t list the best Adelaide markets without a huge nod to Adelaide Central Markets. Every Adelaidian has been to the market at least once. The market attracts over nine million visitors every year, so if you’re heading to Adelaide, chances are you’ll visit it at least once too.

As of the oldest markets in Australia, Adelaide Central Market has been in operation for over 150 years, connecting the whole country with fresh South Australian produce. It also showcases Adelaide’s proud multiculturalism; you can find every cuisine under the sun here.

Also, catch Masterchef royalty Poh Ling Yeow’s shop Jamface, which offers sweet pastries. It also hosts a Friday night ‘Crunch Club’, which plays host to a celebration of beer, wine and fun times all round.

Details: Adelaide Central Market is open every day except Sunday and Monday, located in the heart of the city.

Look out for Jamface at Adelaide Central Market

4. Plant 4 Bowden

Surrounded by lush greenery and eateries, Plant 4 Bowden is all about bringing the community together.

Spaced apart nicely throughout the week, Plant 4 Bowden operates three markets, each offering a variety of food stalls. Wednesday evening and Saturday morning markets have a focus on locally grown fruit and vegetables, accompanied by live acoustic music. Friday nights are the ‘party markets’, when the eateries stay open until late at night and a DJ keeps excitement levels up.

Details: Plant 4 Bowden is open every Wednesday (4pm–9pm), Friday (5pm–late) and Saturday (9am–3pm) in Bowden, just north of Adelaide.

Plant 4 Bowden market adelaide — Punters at Plant 4 Bowden

5. Barossa Farmers’ Market

Over 50 stallholders congregate to Barossa Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning, selling much-loved home-grown seasonal produce.

While yes, you can expect your usual fruit and vegetable offerings, Barossa Farmers’ Market stallholders also sell confectionaries, teas, dairy products and cuts of meat. For an additional cost marketgoers can learn about the Barossa’s strong heritage and food culture with a one-hour walking tour. This pays for itself in tasters alone…

Details: Barossa Farmers Market is open every Saturday morning from 7:30am–11:30am, located in Angaston, Barossa.

6. Gepps X Treasure Market

South Australia’s biggest outdoor market, Gepps X (pronounced Gepps Cross) Treasure Market, completely covers the Mainline Drive-In with an interesting array of goodies available to sell.

The market is a bit like a giant garage sale. Sellers can showcase their goods per vehicle, so expect truckloads of items on offer at the treasure market (literally!). From fresh fruit and vegetables, to second-hand goods and furniture, there’s a large assortment of items to rummage through on the day.

It’s super cheap to get in too, with entry only $1.50 for anyone older than 14. Younger kids go free.

Details: Gepps X Treasure Market operates every Sunday morning from 7am.

7. Fishermen’s Wharf Markets

Since opening over 20 years ago, Fishermen’s Wharf Markets have been consistently popular among locals, who spend hours roaming the stalls of vintage clothing, collectables, furniture, food and antiques on the hunt for a bargain.

The marketplace has two levels and is jam-packed with 120 stalls. It’s also undercover, so not even the weather can stop you from spending the day shopping.

Details: Every Sunday from 9am–5pm, Fishermen’s Wharf Markets open their doors for customers in Port Adelaide.

Fisherman's Wharf market market Adelaide — History unfolds at Fisherman’s Wharf market

8. Henley Square Make It Mine Market

Located temptingly close to the water, the Henley Square Make It Mine Market is the perfect sand to shopping activity.

With 75 stalls scattered across Henley Square showcasing a range of handmade arts, crafts and fashion, the marketplace supports local Adelaide businesses on the last Sunday of every month.

Come for the shopping, stay for the food and entertainment; the Henley Square Markets have an onsite DJ, face painting and food stalls to keep you interested.

Details: The Henley Square Markets are holding three more markets for the year from 10am until 3pm – 27 October, 17 November and 15 December, respectively.

The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

From the moment you arrive in Mildura , the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura. — Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

Taste Mildura’s produce

It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey . Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed ’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers , a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

Hatted dining & Italian history

Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s . Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel. — Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

Discover a thriving culture scene

The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project . Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery. — Find culture around every corner.

Wonder at ancient landscapes

The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park . Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity. — Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

Meet your home away from home

On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama . A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats . Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura. — Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com .

8 of South Australia’s best markets