STALLHOLDERS INVITED TO ADD SPARKLE TO A MAGICAL 2017 SOUTH MELBOURNE MARKET, NIGHT MARKET

From twilight on Thursday January 5, Melbourne’s oldest Market will buzz with a cultural feast of hawker-style food vans, market stalls and free entertainment and music, every Thursday for eight weeks until February 23, 2017.

Tightly woven into the fabric of South Melbourne and its surrounds, South Melbourne Market has served the community for nearly 150 years. 

“The Market opened in 1867 and is a firm favourite with locals and visitors,” the Mayor of Port Phillip, Cr Bernadene Voss, said. “It is a place where people come not only to buy fresh produce, but also to eat, shop, discover, share, connect and awaken their senses.”

A must-do on Melbourne’s summer events calendar, South Melbourne Market’s Night Market is now in its ninth year and attracts an enthusiastic community of locals, along with visitors from Melbourne and beyond. Punters can enjoy world-class food and wines from restaurants, bars, food trucks and carts, which offer cheap, cheerful and delicious street fare.

Entertainers and musicians will perform from four acoustic stages, showcasing emerging talent as well as crowd favourites. To provide more space for people to relax, eat, drink and soak up the Night Market atmosphere, this year the market’s broad centre aisle will open for the first time during the evening event.

As well as the Night Market activities, several of the regular South Melbourne Market stallholders will open their doors or set up a special stall for the evening to sell fashion, homewares, artisan goods and fresh, local produce. These include traders in the Market’s SO:ME Space – The SuperCool, The SuperCool Kid, Lost in Seasons, Spin, Stone and Glint & Bone – and restaurants along Cecil Street, such as Simply Spanish, Paco Y Lola, Köy and Claypots Evening Star.

New sassy artisans and designers will join regular Market traders to offer an array of unique, hard-to-find goods, such as clothing, accessories and jewellery, vintage and collectibles, artisan wares and art. 

“South Melbourne Market is a culturally vibrant public space that helps to connect diverse segments of our community, strengthening the social fabric of our community,” Cr Voss said. “The Night Market is just another way we achieve this. It provides a great opportunity for friends to gather and celebrate good food, cultural diversity, local design and live music in an authentic, much-loved community Market.”

Stallholders keen to book their place at the South Melbourne Market Night Market can apply online at https://southmelbournenightmarket.com.au/stall-applications/.

Dates/Time: Thursday evenings 5 January – 23 February 2017, 5.30pm – 9.30pm

Price: Free live music and entertainment

Address: South Melbourne Market, Coventry & Cecil Streets, South Melbourne.

Walk, drive or catch the 96 or 11 tram to South Melbourne. Free rooftop parking from 5.30pm.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/southmelbournenightmarket

Twitter: @sthmelbnightmkt 

Instagram: @southmelbournenightmarket

Website: www.southmelbournenightmarket.com.au