10 of the most bountiful Bendigo markets

Stock up on the freshest of ingredients and one-of-a-kind statements at the most charming markets in Bendigo.

For a place that gives small-town energy, Bendigo bursts with things to do, including top-notch market days. Enveloped in a wave of tight-knit communities, the Victorian hot spot lures emerging creatives who seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, just 90 minutes’ drive north. Spanning artisanal pantry delights and farm-fresh seasonal produce, to beautifully handcrafted homewares and rare vintage collectables, the markets in Bendigo and its surrounds provide fascinating exploration for visitors of all ages. We’ve rounded up our favourite markets in Bendigo, below.

1. Bendigo Community Farmers Market, Bendigo

fresh apples in a plastic crate box, Bendigo Community Farmers Market — Find crates of seasonal fruits at Bendigo Community Farmers Market. (Image: Getty/krblokhin)

Where: Bendigo Foodshare, 227 Breen St, Golden Square

When: 2nd Saturday of every month from 9am to 12.30pm

Stock up on some of the freshest produce in Central Victoria at the Bendigo Community Farmers Market . Guaranteeing a minimum of 75 per cent of all stalls selling to you by growers themselves, this treasure trove of natural bounty is a sensory delight. Whether you’re on the hunt for fruit, vegetables, melt-in-your-mouth cheeses, olives, honey, craft beer from local stalwarts, silky smooth vino from the best Bendigo wineries or sauces and relishes, this is the place to unearth true deliciousness. Additionally, there’s hot food from regulars like Aranchini4All and Market Fresh Gözleme, plus the odd sweet treat from MQ Gelato Van and other speciality retailers.

2. Bendigo Showgrounds Market, North Bendigo

market stalls at Bendigo Showgrounds Market, North Bendigo — Explore the range of homewares for sale at Bendigo Showgrounds Market. (Image: Supplied)

Where: Prince of Wales Showground, Holmes Rd, North Bendigo

When: Every Sunday from 8.30am to 2pm

Love a good crawl through vintage and bric-a-brac collectables? The weekly Bendigo Showgrounds Market is a must-experience for pre-loved goodies spanning clothing, tools, homewares, toys, furniture, plants and even cosmetics. Throw in a scattering of new offerings, including homemade candles and soaps, plus food products and hot food vendors, and the atmosphere alone is enough to light up your weekend. It’s one of country Victoria’s largest weekly markets so expect crowds from far and wide eagerly clogging up the aisles alongside you.

3. Moonlight Market Bendigo, Bendigo

crowded market stalls at Moonlight Market Bendigo — Moonlight Market Bendigo buzzes with a collection of sensational stalls. (Image: Supplied)

Where: Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo

When: Select Saturdays throughout the year from 3pm to 8pm, so check the website for specific dates

Soak up the twilight vibrance of a night market flowing with hot food and street performances at the Moonlight Market Bendigo . Ramped up during the summer months (there’s often a few dates in November as Christmas looms) while remaining a steady fixture during winter, this Bendigo market buzzes with live music and art installations, food trucks and a collection of sensational stalls. Think arts and crafts, vintage homewares, condiments, jewellery, fashion and more. The market’s annual Easter and Christmas events are so popular that they’re staged during the day, so get there for a great selection of gifts no matter when you’re visiting town.

4. Kangaroo Flat Handmade Market, Kangaroo Flat

Where: 113 MacKenzie St West, Golden Square

When: 1st Saturday of every month from 9am to 2pm

Setting up shop in an all-new location during February 2025, the Kangaroo Flat Handmade Market strives to shine a light on the free flowing creativity coming out of this corner of the world. Whether they’re home cooks, budding fashion, homewares and jewellery designers or simply savvy entrepreneurs, this is the spot to sell the region’s cleverest wares and get brands out there. Shoppers are treated to an eclectic mix of it all, with no market day precisely mirroring another, making for a truly authentic portal into this supportive locale and, of course, one-of-a-kind retail therapy.

5. Castlemaine Farmers Market, Castlemaine

plants for sale at Castlemaine Farmers Market — Expect to see an abundance of plants and seasonal produce at Castlemaine Farmers Market. (Image: Sorell Wilson)

Where: Along Forest St, Castlemaine, but either at the Camp Reserve or Western Reserve depending on what day you visit

When: Either each Wednesday from 2.30pm to 5.30pm or the 1st Sunday of every month except January from 9am to 1pm

An untapped mecca of peak seasonal produce, cosmetics, fashion and seriously delicious homemade cooking, the Castlemaine Farmers Market is about 40 minutes’ drive from Bendigo and worth every bit of effort. Thankfully, it’s staged weekly in addition to monthly, so there’s more opportunity to visit when you’re in town, because you’ll want to sample these high-quality goods. Giant paella pans dishing up authentic Spanish flavours? It’s there. Local cheeses and cured meats to rival fancy upmarket restaurant charcuterie? You’ll find it. Olive oil and stone fruits are also hot picks so get there early to nail your grab-list.

6. Wesley Hill Community Market

the Wesley Hill Community Market in Bendigo — The iconic market showcases houseware and bric-a-brac stalls. (Image: Mountain Alexander Shire Council)

Where: Wesley Hill Hall, 149 Pyrenees Hwy, Castlemaine

When: Every Saturday from 9am to 1pm

Explore Victoria’s oldest continuously running market each week, just 40 minutes’ journey from Bendigo. The Wesley Hill Community Market is a must for locals in the area, showcasing central Victoria’s finest artisanal bread, seasonal produce, clever confectionery, native plants, vintage wares, pre-loved books, good coffee and more. Convenient parking off the main road (the market’s located on the highway) is found at the car park on Wallace St, less than a minute away, but you’ll need to arrive early because it fills up fast.

7. Maldon Market, Maldon

a basket filled with vegetables, Maldon Market, Bendigo — Fill your basket with fresh veggies at Maldon Market.

Where: Maldon Neighbourhood Centre, 1 Church St, Maldon

When: 2nd Sunday of every month from 9am to 1.30pm

Venture about 30 minutes from Bendigo to discover a group of locals who thrive come market day. The Maldon Market is a collective of talent who showcase their unique skills once a month on a Sunday. You’ll comb the handiwork of makers, bakers, growers and sewers as free tastings and interactive displays snake you right around the cool, leafy grounds that house the Neighbourhood Centre. Once you’re done stickybeaking the stalls, wander further towards Maldon’s historic Main St (it’s within walking distance) to check out the preserved beauty of Maldon, Australia’s first Notable Town according to the National Trust in 1966.

8. Kangaroo Flat Market, Kangaroo Flat

Where: 10 Camp St, Kangaroo Flat

When: The last Saturday of each season from 8am to 1pm so check the website for upcoming dates

If rummaging a car boot never gets old, you’ll delight in what’s on offer at the Kangaroo Flat Market four times annually. A bustling hub of stalls and open boots, it’s trash and treasure central so you’ll be jostling thick crowds to find whatever grabs you. From handy household items to clothing, tools, books, toys, arts and crafts and shoes, digging for spoils is an adventure every time. Additionally, there’s plenty of homemade cakes and slices up for grabs, plus a sausage sizzle and live music to keep you bopping along. A fun day out, rain, hail or shine.

9. Castlemaine Artists Market, Castlemaine

bush bags for sale at Castlemaine Artists Market, Bendigo — Peruse the unique artisan items on display. (Image: Rachel Pilgrim)

Where: Western Reserve, Forest St, Castlemaine

When: 4th Saturday of every month from 10am to 2pm

A long-standing gathering of the region’s most creative of types, the Castlemaine Artists Market is guaranteed to offer something you’ve never set eyes upon. The scene is cheery and festive as music and varied performances entertain crowds wandering the grounds for arts and crafts, jewellery, screen-printed items, ceramics, leather goods, clothing, timber masterpieces and more. Food vendors also show up in spades, so it’s a great spot to sit back and bask in community spirit while indulging in some grab-and-go morning tea.

10. Inglewood Lions Country Market, Inglewood

Where: Inglewood Recreation Reserve, corner Grant St and Calder Hwy, Inglewood

When: 2nd Saturday of every month from 9am to 1pm

Less than 40 minutes in the car from Bendigo, the Inglewood Lions Country Market is a low-key occasion serving up artisanal creations and beautiful farm-fresh produce. It’s a magnet for smaller suppliers and emerging farmers, so BYO reusable bag as the temptations run rife. You’ll also find garden art, arts and crafts and hot food vendors.

Discover the best places to stay in Bendigo

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 .