Last weekend there were not one, not two, but three markets in Daylesford.
Rotary ran their regular Farmer’s Market at Daylesford Primary School in Vincent Street. Craft Markets Australia held a food and craft market at Victoria Park and the regular, weekly Daylesford Sunday Market was held at the railway station.
The Rotary Daylesford Farmers Market is a monthly market featuring fresh fruit, vegetables, produce and other products from the local Daylesford region. It runs on the 4th Saturday of the month. Proceeds are used by Rotary to support local projects.
The Daylesford Sunday Market is run by the Daylesford Spa Country Railway. It has been running for 39 years as a not for profit charity that supports the town of Daylesford and its surrounds.
The Market runs every Sunday of the year, rain, hail, snow or shine with two exceptions – Christmas Day and ‘code red’ fire days – from 8 am to 3 pm. If the market falls on Christmas day or a “Code Red” (the highest fire warning level) fire danger day in the central district we will not operate. The market opens at 8am and winds down from 1pm with a close time of 3pm. These times are affected by weather, if it is pouring rain or stinking hot the market will wind down and close earlier.
The Sunday Market stayed open through most of the Victorian COVID shutdown and closed only for two weeks in July. The Heritage Railway returned to operation in December.
Craft Markets Australia draws stall holders from across Victoria. The market visits several Victorian locations on an irregular schedule. Other markets are held at Mount Martha, Portsea, Mornington, Red Hill, Yarra Glen and Hanging Rock. Daylesford is seen as an attractive place to hold the market given the local surroundings and the high level of visitors.
Last Saturday’s market had a significant number of high quality stalls, but only a modest visitor turn out.
The next nearby Market will be at Hanging Rock on March 20. A calendar of markets is available from their website.
