Overview
Buying your food from the supermarket is fine. Ordering a gift for mum on the internet works. And picking up a new plant for your home at Bunnings is OK (well, it's pretty good if you get a snag). But, there's nothing quite like perusing rows and rows of vintage wares, handmade goods and just-picked produce at markets — especially when it's autumn. It can be a little fresh in the morning, but nothing to deter you from rising early, and a whole heap of local produce is at its peak. It's stone fruit time, friends, time to overload on plums. So, here are our favourite five markets happening around the city this May. And if you're not a morning person, no stress. A heap of them go until the afternoon, so you can roll out of bed whenever you please.
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When a big occasion is on its way, timely markets are always excellent for those of us who tend to leave gift purchasing until the last minute. While Etsy usually arrives towards the end of the year to lend a hand with your Christmas shopping, it’s also bringing its market back to Brisbane this May for Mother’s Day. Etsy Made Local is a grassroots initiative that celebrates crafters, collectors and artisans in local communities, and provides them with the opportunity to sell their creations both online and in a physical space. So whether you’re on the hunt for handmade wares or vintage goods, these guys have got you covered. The market will take place in the Exhibition Building at the Brisbane Showgrounds on Friday, May 10 from 4.30–9.30pm and Saturday, May 11 from 9am–4pm. Because it focuses on the best local talent, every market is filled with different stallholders and unique creations. Supporting creative small businesses and scoring a killer gift for mum is a win for everyone involved, so head along and get your shopping sorted. Entry is via gold coin donation.
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Usually, hanging out in the Valley at 6am on a Sunday morning is a sign of a big night — and one that’s still going. But X Cargo is giving Brisbanites another reason to head by just as day is breaking. Adding to the shipping container hangout’s growing roster of regular events, the McLachlan Street spot is now home to a weekly Sunday Farmers Market. Kicking off on May 5, it’ll keep going till midday (so if you can’t give up your sleep-in, you can roll along before noon hits). Stock up on fresh food of the seafood, meats, cheese, baked goods and gourmet condiments variety, with nuts, seeds, spices and salts all on offer as well. Bringing your pet pupper with you? There’ll also be dog food available to buy, and a dog wash in operation. X Cargo’s bar and cafe also serves up breakfast and coffee, should you be feeling peckish and in need of a caffeinated buzz first thing. And, because it’s the Valley, live music is also on the agenda. We suspect it won’t start quite so early, however.
Image: Dane Beesley.
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Decking your halls with boughs of holly is for Christmastime. Sprucing up your chosen joint with other types of greenery — that’s a year-round activity. Why not deck your coffee table with pots of cacti? Adorn your bathroom shelves with planters filled with succulents? Or brighten up your loved ones’ homes with whichever leafy morsel you think they’ll love. Whichever you choose, you’ll find whatever you’re looking for at the The Lanes Plant and Homewares Market. It takes over Fortitude Valley’s Bakery, Winn and California Lanes on three Saturdays across 2019. Head along on May 11, just in time for Mother’s Day. Kicking off at 9am, stallholders will be slinging the likes of plants, flowers, kokedamas, ceramics, candles and homewares, with My Botanical Lab, Max and Mort, Alice Nightingale and Bonnie Hislop among the sellers. You can also take part in a macrame workshops, watch a terrarium demonstration and get your plants potted onsite. And the laneways’ various cafes and eateries will be open, of course.
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You might have thought King George Square looked pretty fine during the day, and maybe a tad finer at night, but it’s at twilight City Hall really shows off its colours. And what better backdrop to shop the evening away with, especially when the King George is filled with some of Brisbane’s best designers and makers. The regular Brisbane Twilight Market shows off a sizeable array of stalls, all staffed by some pretty nifty and talented local artists. There will be an eclectic selection of handmade clothing, accessories, leather goods, paper goods, homewares and more on show. This market is all about sound, smell and sales — live music will provide a soundtrack to the evening, and expect to be hit with that spring flowerbed smell that always lingers when there’s a soap stall around. Food stalls and a free craft workshop are also on the agenda, with 2019’s first market happening on May 10. Each event runs from 4–9pm, so take along some cash and stock up on all things crafty.
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You can never have too much greenery in your life, both inside and outside your house. And, whether you’re decking out your interiors or setting up a luxe outdoor hangout zone, you can never have too many homewares either. At least that’s what you’ll keep telling yourself while you’re browsing around The Home Collective, with northside market offering up an array of plants, pots, furniture, cushions, art and more. If you’re keen for a sneak peek, or some design inspiration, check out the event’s Instagram page. That’ll motivate you to head along, we’re certain Taking place in Wavell Heights from 9am to 1pm on Sunday, May 26, the market will kit out your abode with plenty of choices, with a heap of stalls ready for you to peruse. Sure, there’s an excuse to boost your garden and homewares cred every weekend in Brissie, or so it seems, but you just can’t have to much of a good thing.