Shopping and markets in Tasmania
Meet a maker, chat with a shopkeeper, grab a snack or simply browse for something irresistible to remind you of Tasmania once you’re home.
Tasmanians are a friendly bunch, and whether you’re shopping at an open-air market or browsing for antiques, the encounter will likely include conversations that unfold at their own sweet pace.
Best shopping
Hobart
Hobart sure knows how to do a market. On Saturdays, hit up the inviting Salamanca Market, set against a backdrop of Georgian sandstone buildings, or wander with locals to Farm Gate Market, aka ‘Farmy’, on Sundays. Flock to the River Derwent’s edge on a Friday evening for the monthly Hobart Twilight Market on stylish Brooke Street Pier, or pop across the river to Kangaroo Bay’s Tasmanian Produce Market each Saturday. If you’re seeking inner-city shopping with a local market vibe, Tassie Makers Market provides Huon pine crafts, delicious sauces and giftware.
New Norfolk
New Norfolk is Tasmania’s self-proclaimed antiques capital. Shop for collectables at the Drill Hall Emporium or poke around the best antique shops across the island. At Flywheel, a vintage stationery and letterpress studio, pick up pencils or wax seals.
About a 20min drive south east of New Norfolk is bushy Collinsvale, where a monthly Sunday market hosts highland cows, miniature goats, boutique spirits and tasty treats among the gumtrees. Or drive a similar distance north east from New Norfolk to shop at Bushy Park Market, where artisans and bakers gather in a 110-year-old community hall.
Launceston
At the Harvest Market on Saturdays, taste your way around northern Tasmania by grazing on honey, berries, heirloom vegetables, beer, hazelnuts, ginseng, and more. Dig into tasty multicultural cuisine at World Street Eats, once a month on Sundays, or pop by the Old Umbrella Shop for a charming taste of yesteryear.
Huon Valley
The Huon Valley’s produce – the apple of Tasmania’s eye – is the star at a Saturday market beside Willie Smith’s Apple Shed near Huonville.
Devonport region
Some stores defy definition – such as Latrobe’s Reliquaire, a wonderland of a gift store that invites you to fall down the rabbit hole. Fill your basket with preserves and jams made from local produce at the Wynyard Foreshore Market, and visit a twilight version of the market over summer for warm Friday evenings browsing bric-a-brac by the beach. The monthly Friday Market Square Market offers farm-fresh stock undercover at a pavilion in Devonport. Just east of Devonport is Don Market, where crafters and makers have been gathering each Sunday for more than 45 years.
Bream Creek
Have a chat with the innovative brewers, gourmet cooks and sustainable growers at the wholesome Bream Creek Farmers Market. Find this gem of a market every Sunday in Tasmania’s verdant south-east farmland.
East Treats
Bay of Fires Arts Market brings together more than 60 artisan exhibitors every October. If you’re visiting the east coast at a different time of year, find fine crafts and jewellery at Bicheno Community Market on Sundays from September to April; track down homemade threads at St Helens Market each Saturday; or tuck into seasonal produce at the monthly Swansea Community Market (Saturday) and St Marys Market (Thursday).
Northern Goods
Get the authentic community experience at the monthly Saturday TamarFM George Town Market, or spark curiosity at the creative St Giles Niche Market, held each Saturday from October to December inside Inveresk’s Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. A monthly Sunday market fills the historic village of Ross with warm country treats.