The best Mornington Peninsula markets for local treasures

Carrie Hutchinson Carrie Hutchinson
hero media
These are the indoor and outdoor markets to include on your shopping list if you’re after the best the locals have to offer. 

Exploring the wonderful array of things to do on the Mornington Peninsula wouldn’t be complete without diving into its vibrant market scene. Whether you need to stock the pantry for your beachside break or are looking for a piece of the peninsula to take home, you shouldn’t miss these Mornington Peninsula markets. This is where farmers bring their finest berries or goat curd, local artists sell their impeccable arts and crafts, and snacks, coffee and entertainment are all part of the ritual. There are options every weekend for farmers’ and craft markets and even a few indoor markets that open daily. Don’t forget your shopping bags. 

Farmers’ markets

Seaford Farmers Market

When: Third Sunday of every month, 8am – 1pm 

Before you head home (or at the beginning of your week on the Mornington Peninsula) stock up on locally grown produce direct from the farmers and other producers at Seaford Farmers Market . When you’re done, you’ll be enjoying free-range eggs, fresh fruit and veggies, and fresh and smoked meats, as well as pickles, conserves, pasta and other tasty treats. 

 Address: Broughton Street Reserve, Station Street, Seaford, Mornington Peninsula  

Mt Eliza Farmers’ Market

When: Fourth Sunday of every month, 9am – 1pm 

This is the only farmers’ market on the Mornington Peninsula accredited by the Victorian Farmers’ Market Association, which means its stalls are only stocked with food and produce from local farmers and specialty makers. Your first stop at Mt Eliza Farmers’ Market should be Fire & Stone for warm scones with jam and cream before you fill your shopping bags with Flinders Sourdough, Mumma Made jams and relishes, Red Hill Apples, Blue Bay cheese and more. 

Address: Corner Mt Eliza Way and Canadian Bay Road, Mt Eliza, Mornington Peninsula  

Bottles of tea found in one of the Mornington Peninsula Markets.
Taste the difference of local goodness at Mt Eliza Farmers’ Market.

Saturday markets

Pearcedale Community Market

When: Third Saturday of every month, 9am – 1pm 

You could buy yourself the perfect picnic at pretty Pearcedale Community Market , shaded by towering eucalypts. There’s freshly baked bread, locally harvested honey, jam made from strawberries grown on the peninsula and plenty of other produce created nearby. Plus, there are craft stalls, potted plants, and delicious snacks and coffee to enjoy while you’re browsing. 

Address: Pearcedale Public Hall & Gardens, 45 Pearcedale Road, Pearcedale, Mornington Peninsula  

A stall in Pearcedale Market.
Enjoy craft stalls, snacks, and coffee under the eucalypts.

Rye Foreshore Market

When: First Saturday of every month, 7.30am – 1pm 

This market, a community fundraiser for the Rotary Club, is the way to get your weekend off to a brilliant start. Rye Foreshore Market classifies itself as a “make, bake and grow" market, meaning it has at least 70 per cent homegrown or home-made goods and produce. There are more than 80 stalls of the best the peninsula can offer, from seasonal fruit (the summer berries in this part of the world are excellent) to handmade soap. Don’t bother with breakfast before you arrive because the bacon and egg rolls are *chef’s kiss*. 

Address: Opposite Rye Hotel, 2415 Point Nepean Road, Rye, Mornington Peninsula 

Somerville Saturday Market

When: Second Saturday of every month (except January), 8am – 12.30pm 

The old-school Somerville Saturday Market brings the community together, encourages local creatives to sell their work, and helps resource the church. There’s a great sausage sizzle, as well as coffee and tea, along with stalls selling books, plants, cards, cakes, gifts and bric-à-brac. The church op shop is also open. 

Address: St Andrew’s, 2 Eramosa Road West, Somerville, Mornington Peninsula  

Stalls filled with books at Somerville Saturday Market.
Support local creatives and enjoy a classic market day at Somerville.

Boneo Community Market

When: Third Saturday of every month, 8am – 12.30pm 

Whether you’re filling the fridge or looking for a memento of your visit to the Mornington Peninsula, you’ll find it at the Boneo Community Market . This area is renowned for its market gardens, so fresh fruit and veg are top quality. You can also buy Merricks Farm jams and conserves, Pure Peninsula Honey and fresh flowers. Ask the growers about their produce and pick a sweet treat for later. There are also lots of beautiful arts and crafts, including locally produced jewellery and ceramics. Plus, if you’ve got the kids with you, they’ll love the animal farm. 

Address: Boneo Recreation Reserve, Limestone Road, Boneo, Mornington Peninsula  

Stalls set up at Boneo Community Market with a sign that leads to the mobile farm.
Chat with growers and stock up on top-quality produce at Boneo Market.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Little Beauty Market

When: Final Saturday of the month, usually 9am – 2pm, although occasionally at twilight (check on the website) 

Frankston is considered the last point on the Victorian ‘mainland’ before you get to the Mornington Peninsula, so if you’re driving down on a Saturday, it’s worth stopping at this makers’ market set around a lake in the park. Little Beauty Market has more than a hundred stalls selling handcrafted items, art, homewares, vintage clothes, collectables, kids’ outfits and toys, farm produce and food carts serving street food from around the world. There’s also a bar and live music.  

Address: Beauty Park, Spring Street, Frankston 

A sea of people at Little Beauty Market.
Explore over 100 stalls and enjoy live tunes at Little Beauty Market.

Sunday markets

Bittern Community Market

When: Every Sunday, 8am – 1pm 

Get your fresh fruit and vegetables, check out the locally created homewares and gifts, and rummage through second-hand goods and bric-à-brac at the Bittern Community Market , which has been operating for more than 30 years. Need a coffee or something to eat? There are stallholders that will sort out that for you, too. 

Address: Bittern Railway Station, Frankston–Flinders Road, Bittern, Mornington Peninsula  

Mornington Racecourse Craft Market

When: Second Sunday of every month, 9am – 2pm 

If you like handmade, original treasures, you’ll love what’s on offer at Mornington Racecourse Craft Market . Everything here has been designed and made in Australia; much of it is from Victoria. Of course, there are also produce and locally created food items, as well as street food from a selection of vendors and live music setting the ambience. 

Address: Mornington Racecourse, Racecourse Road, Mornington, Mornington Peninsula  

People checking out stalls in the Mornington Racecourse Craft Market.
For handmade goods lovers, shop unique creations and enjoy live music at Mornington Market.

Shoreham Market

When: Third Sunday of the month (September – May), 9am – 2pm 

This market is as much about the community as it is about commerce. Even if you don’t buy anything at the dog-friendly Shoreham Market , you can take part in a yoga class, take the  younger members of the family to enjoy some children’s activities, or kick back and enjoy some music. There are lots of great stalls, of course, selling food to eat on site, food and produce to take away, and beautiful crafts, fashion and homewares. 

Address: 67–85 Byrnes Road, Shoreham  

Bring the family and unwind with music at dog-friendly Shoreham Market.

Moorooduc Station Market

When: First of the month from October to March (plus June and August), 10am – 2pm 

It’s worth heading to Moorooduc Station Market just to grab a bite from Geez That’s Good Toasties to enjoy beneath the gum trees. There are more than 60 stalls featuring local makers and their ranges, as well as street food and drink trucks. It’s set next door to the old railway station and the kids might enjoy a ride on the vintage train to Mornington and back. 

Address: 460 Moorooduc Highway, Moorooduc, Mornington Peninsula  

A lady with her stall of bags at Moorooduc Station Market.
Moorooduc Station Market is where family fun, street food, and local stalls come together.

Occasional markets

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

Point Nepean Portsea Market

When: See website for upcoming dates 

The Point Nepean Portsea Market has it all: a picturesque coastal location, surrounded by historical buildings and vast lawns, and endless reasons for you to stick your hand in your pocket. Everything you see in the stalls has been made or grown by the stallholder. Crafts and treasures are in plentiful supply, but there’s also food vans serving up delicious food to eat picnic-style, tables of fresh produce to take away, and live music to create an unbeatable atmosphere. 

Address: Point Nepean Quarantine Station, Coleman Road, Portsea, Mornington Peninsula  

The view at Point Nepean Portsea.
Enjoy a picturesque coastal location with handmade treasures and delicious food. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Mt Martha South Beach Market

When: Victorian public holidays, 10am – 2pm 

Perched on a hill overlooking Port Phillip Bay, this has become one of the most popular markets in the region. And it’s not all about that view. The organisers of Mt Martha South Beach Market pride themselves on bringing together more than 60 stalls selling high-end goods, including fashion, beauty, art, homewares, homemade goods and pet products. Plus, you’ll be able to fill your belly with tasty dishes and drinks from a number of food vans. 

Address: Mount Martha House, 466 Esplanade, Mount Martha, Mornington Peninsula  

A landscape image of Mt Martha South Beach Market that includes the coastal view.
Fill your basket with high-end goods and take in the coastal view at Mt Martha South Beach Market.

The Mount Martha Briars Market

When: Every couple of months, 9am – 2pm 

It’s not every day you can enjoy shopping some well-stocked stalls and visiting a wildlife sanctuary in one spot. The Briars is a historical homestead and conservation park that plays host to the much-loved Mount Martha Briars Market . In the morning you can browse the homemade and home-grown wares, from fresh produce to eye-catching homewares, then snaffle something tasty for lunch. Afterwards, spend some time walking the Briar’s trails and visiting the native animals. Check the website for upcoming dates. 

Address: 450 Nepean Highway, Mount Martha, Mornington Peninsula  

Stalls at Mount Martha Briars Market and a view of the beach.
Browse homemade wares, wander the trails, and enjoy the wildlife at The Briars.

Permanent markets

Dromana Indoor Market

When: Daily 10am – 5pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm (closed Tuesdays in winter) 

Get a fix of the best of everything Mornington Peninsula markets have to offer at this big warehouse with more than 90 stalls offering a wide range of ever-changing treasures. Dromana Indoor Market has plenty of vintage and antique pieces, from toys and collectables to designer clothing and furniture. Grab a read for your break at one of the book stalls or stock your fridge with local produce. If you love to browse this is a great way to spend a few hours, especially on a gloomy day. 

Address: 110 Nepean Highway, Dromana, Mornington Peninsula  

A display of vinyls at Dromana Indoor Market.
Spend hours browsing vintage finds and local produce at Dromana Indoor Market.

Flock of Seagulls Indoor Market and Cafe

When: Monday to Saturday 10am – 4.30pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm 

There’s plenty to rummage through at the more than 50 stalls at Flock Rye . There are vintage objects and clothing items galore, as well as locally made fashion, gifts, homeware and candles. Check out the work of peninsula artists in the gallery, stop for coffee and cake at the cafe, or book a session with the onsite hairdresser, masseuse or reiki master. 

Address: 2211 Point Nepean Road, Rye, Mornington Peninsula  

Discover the best beaches on the Mornington Peninsula

Carrie Hutchinson
Carrie Hutchinson is a writer and editor for publications and clients around the world. A transplant to Melbourne, she loves nothing more than sharing the riches of her corner of the world with others through her stories and images. Otherwise, her happy place is the ocean, especially if it involves swimming with large marine creatures. Sharks, wild dolphins, a cuttlefish congregation and manta rays have been eyeballed, and Carrie is now seeking out opportunities to splash with whales and marine iguanas.
View profile and articles
Crittenden restaurant mornington peninsula
Mornington Peninsula

7 reasons to book a long weekend on the Mornington Peninsula

A place of spectacular coastlines and rolling vineyards, the Mornington Peninsula is just an hour from Melbourne, yet feels like a world away.  

Read more
Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula

This is Mornington Peninsula’s most indulgent itinerary

The Mornington Peninsula blends vineyards, galleries, golf and delicious finds for an unforgettable getaway that indulges all penchants. 

Read more
an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
Mornington Peninsula

Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

Read more
interior of Peninsula Hot Springs Glamping
Mornington Peninsula

This Mornington Peninsula glamping stay is an all-round wellness experience

A weekend of glamping at Peninsula Hot Springs turned out to be the perfect way to bond with loved ones.

Read more

This scenic Victorian region is the perfect antidote to city life

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
    Continue

    Video credit: Visit Victoria/Tourism Australia

    The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

    There are no kangaroos back in Chicago: they’re all here in the Grampians/Gariwerd . In the heart of the Grampians National Park’s main gateway town, Halls Gap, pods of eastern greys are eating grass beside my parked rental car beneath the stars. Next morning, when I see the backyard of my rented villa on the edge of town for the first time, there are kangaroos feeding beside a slow-moving creek, lined with river red gums.

    Five hundred metres up the road, 50 or so of them are eating by the side of the road in a paddock. I pull over to watch and spot three emus. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos fly overhead towards the tall green mountains just beyond town.

    ‘Kee-ow, keee-oww’… their calls fuse with the maniacal cackle of a kookaburra (or 10). Gawd, how I’ve missed the sound of them. Far above, a wedge-tailed eagle watches, and there you go: the ‘great birds of Australia’ trifecta, all half a kay from the town limits.

    Exchanging city chaos for country calm

    kangaroos near Halls Gap, Grampians National Park
    The park is renowned for its significant diversity of native fauna species. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    I’ve come to the Grampians to disconnect, but the bush offers a connection of its own. This isn’t just any bush, mind you. The Grampians National Park is iconic for many reasons, mostly for its striking sandstone mountains – five ridges run north to south, with abrupt, orange slopes which tumble right into Halls Gap – and for the fact there’s 20,000 years of traditional rock art. Across these mountains there are more than 200 recorded sites to see, created by the Djab Wurrung, Jardwadjali and Gunditjmara peoples. It’s just like our outback… but three hours from Melbourne.

    I’ve come here for a chance at renewal after the chaos of my life in America’s third-largest city, Chicago, where I live for now, at the whim of a relative’s cancer journey. Flying into Melbourne’s airport, it only takes an hour’s drive to feel far away from any concept of suburbia. When I arrive in Halls Gap two hours later, the restaurant I’m eating at clears out entirely by 7:45pm; Chicago already feels a lifetime ago.

    The trails and treasures of the Grampians

    sunrise at Grampians National Park /Gariwerd
    Grampians National Park /Gariwerd covers almost 2000 square kilometres. (Image: Ben Savage)

    Though the national park covers almost 2000 square kilometres, its best-known landmarks are remarkably easy to access. From my carpark here, among the cockatoos and kangaroos on the fringe of Halls Gap, it only takes 60 seconds’ driving time before I’m winding my way up a steep road through rainforest, deep into the mountains.

    Then it’s five minutes more to a carpark that serves as a trailhead for a hike to one of the park’s best vantage points, The Pinnacles . I walk for an hour or so, reacquainting myself with the smells and the sounds of the Aussie bush, before I reach it: a sheer cliff’s edge lookout 500 metres up above Halls Gap.

    walking through a cave, Hollow Mountain
    Overlooking the vast Grampians landscape from Hollow Mountain. (Image: Robert Blackburn)

    There are hikes and there are lookouts and waterfalls all across this part of the park near town. Some are a short stroll from a carpark; others involve long, arduous hikes through forest. The longest is the Grampians Peaks Trail , Victoria’s newest and longest iconic walk, which runs 160 kilometres – the entire length of Grampians National Park.

    Local activities operator Absolute Outdoors shows me glimpses of the trail. The company’s owner, Adrian Manikas, says it’s the best walk he’s done in Australia. He says he’s worked in national parks across the world, but this was the one he wanted to bring his children up in.

    “There’s something about the Grampians,” he says, as he leads me up a path to where there’s wooden platforms for tents, beside a hut looking straight out across western Victoria from a kilometre up in the sky (these are part of the guided hiking options for the trail). “There are things out here that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia.” Last summer, 80 per cent of the park was damaged by bushfire, but Manikas shows me its regrowth, and tells me of the manic effort put in by volunteers from town – with firefighters from all over Australia – to help save Halls Gap.

    wildflowers in Grampians National Park
    Spot wildflowers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    We drive back down to Halls Gap at dusk to abseil down a mountain under the stars, a few minutes’ walk off the main road into town. We have headlamps, but a full moon is enough to light my way down. It takes blind faith to walk backwards down a mountain into a black void, though the upside is I can’t see the extent of my descent.

    Grampians National Park at sunset
    Grampians National Park at sunset. (Image: Wine Australian)

    The stargazing is ruined by the moon, of course, but you should see how its glow lights up the orange of the sandstone, like in a theme park. When I’m done, I stand on a rocky plateau drinking hot chocolate and listening to the Aussie animals who prefer nighttime. I can see the streets of Halls Gap off in the distance on this Friday night. The restaurants may stay open until 8pm tonight.

    What else is on offer in The Grampians?

    a boat travelling along the Wimmera River inDimboola
    Travelling along the Wimmera River in Dimboola. (Image: Chris McConville)

    You’ll find all sorts of adventures out here – from rock climbing to canoeing to hiking – but there’s more to the Grampians than a couple of thousand square kilometres of trees and mountains. Halls Gap may be known to most people, but what of Pomonal, and Dimboola, and Horsham? Here in the shadow of those big sandstone mountains there are towns and communities most of us don’t know to visit.

    And who knew that the Grampians is home to Victoria’s most underrated wine region ? My disconnection this morning comes not in a forest, but in the tasting rooms and winery restaurants of the district. Like Pomonal Estate, barely 10 minutes’ drive east of Halls Gap, where UK-born chef Dean Sibthorp prepares a locally caught barramundi with lentil, pumpkin and finger lime in a restaurant beside the vines at the base of the Grampians. Husband-and-wife team Pep and Adam Atchison tell me stories as they pour their prize wines (shiraz is the hero in these parts).

    dining at Pomonal Estate
    Dine in a restaurant beside vines at Pomonal Estate. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Three minutes’ drive back down the road, long-time mates Hadyn Black and Darcy Naunton run an eclectic cellar door out of a corrugated iron shed, near downtown Pomonal. The Christmas before last, half the houses in Pomonal burnt down in a bushfire, but these locals are a resilient lot.

    The fires also didn’t stop the construction of the first art centre in Australia dedicated to environmental art in a nature-based precinct a little further down the road (that’s Wama – the National Centre for Environmental Arts), which opened in July. And some of the world’s oldest and rarest grape vines have survived 160 years at Best’s Wines, outside the heritage town of Great Western. There’s plantings here from the year 1868, and there’s wines stored in century-old barrels within 150-year-old tunnels beneath the tasting room. On the other side of town, Seppelt Wines’ roots go back to 1865. They’re both only a 30-minute drive from Halls Gap.

    Salingers of Great Western
    Great Western is a charming heritage town. (Image: Griffin Simm)

    There’s more to explore yet; I drive through tiny historic towns that barely make the map. Still part of the Grampians, they’re as pretty as the mountains behind them: full of late 19th-century/early 20th-century post offices, government offices and bank buildings, converted now to all manner of bric-a-brac stores and cafes.

    The Imaginarium is one, in quirky Dimboola, where I sleep in the manager’s residence of an old National Australia Bank after a gourmet dinner at the local golf club, run by noted chef and teacher, Cat Clarke – a pioneer of modern Indigenous Australian cooking. Just south, I spend an entire afternoon at a winery, Norton Estate Wines, set on rolling calico-coloured hills that make me think of Tuscany, chit-chatting with owners Chris and Sam Spence.

    Being here takes me back two decades, when I lived here for a time. It had all seemed as foreign as if I’d driven to another planet back then (from Sydney/Warrane), but there seemed something inherently and immediately good about this place, like I’d lived here before.

    And it’s the Australian small-town familiarity of the Grampians that offers me connection back to my own country. Even in the better-known Halls Gap, Liz from Kerrie’s Creations knows I like my lattes with soy milk and one sugar. And while I never do get the name of the lady at the local Ampol station, I sure know a lot about her life.

    Kookaburras on a tree
    Kookaburras are one of some 230 bird species. (Image: Darren Donlen)

    You can be a local here in a day; how good is that? In Chicago, I don’t even know who my neighbour is. Though each day at dusk – when the kangaroos gather outside my villa, and the kookaburras and the black cockatoos shout out loud before settling in to sleep – I prefer the quieter connection I get out there in the bush, beneath these orange mountains.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    Sleep beside the wildlife on the edge of Halls Gap at Serenity .

    Playing there

    abseiling down Hollow Mountain
    Hollow Mountain is a popular abseiling site.

    Go abseiling under the stars or join a guided hike with Absolute Outdoors . Visit Wama , Australia’s first environmental art centre. Check out Dimboola’s eccentric Imaginarium .

    Eating there

    steak, naan bread and beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap
    Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap serves a great steak on naan bread.

    Eat world-class cuisine at Pomonal Estate . Dine and stay at much-revered icon Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The ‘steak on naan’ at Halls Gap brewhouse Paper Scissors Rock , can’t be beat.

    Dunkeld Arboretum in Grampians National Park
    The serene Dunkeld Arboretum.

    For Halls Gap’s best breakfasts head to Livefast Cafe . Sip local wines at Great Western’s historic wineries, Best’s Wines , Seppelt Wines and Norton Estate Wines .

    two glasses of beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap
    Sink a cold one at Paper Scissors Rock.