Melbourne's Getting a New Regular Design Market

It makes no earthly sense that Melbourne, the city that lives and breathes handmade wooden fruit platters, doesn’t have a regular enough design and craft market. So many plant pots bereft of macramé holders, so many wine stoppers untopped with animal butts, so many heads unadorned by flower crowns. The good people at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) feel the same way and are bringing his injustice to an end, by hosting a bi-monthly design market in the ACCA forecourt.

The Upmarket (great pun, friends) will bring Melbourne’s best designers together on the first and third Saturday of every month. You can expect a full (and free) day of shopping with stalls featuring some of the best independent design on offer in the city (so much better than buying online). The Upmarket will also feature creative workshops for all ages, there'll be an entire section named The Larder, dedicated to take home organic and local produce, while The Heart of Dining will fuel your fire for the day with street food aplenty.

Emerging and student designers can also get a slice of the pie by applying for one of the five rotating stalls dedicated to up-and-comers. So Melbourne, close that Etsy tab — you’ve got a market to attend.

The Upmarket is launching September 5 at ACCA Forecourt, 111 Sturt Street, Southbank. Open 9am-4pm, free entry. For more information, head to www.theupmarket.com.au.