Tamborine Mountain Country Markets is more of a community event than a simple Sunday market. Held on the second Sunday of each month at the Tamborine Mountain Showgrounds, the markets are all about wonderful little luxuries for mums, dads and kids. The whole town turns out as well as day trippers from the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Mt Tamborine is a fabulous way to spend a day but the markets make it oh so good!
Firstly, the kids – things to do at Tamborine Markets for little people
The markets are large but well organised along roads – perfect for mums with prams. There’s accessible toilets and an ATM there so when you get there and realise you’ve only got a card, there’s no need to load a bunch of kiddies back into the car (I speak from experience). The markets boast all the “go to” attractions for littlies with a few bonuses. Kids will love the face painting, the food and toy stalls, the jumping castle… not to mention the mini-quad bike rides and the pony rides! The stalls are a good mix of stuff for adults and kids including some which could stop any young princess. Highlights include a number of beautiful handmade jewellery stalls and the little girl’s dream stall – a vintage bedroom furniture stall with all the pretty pink trimmings. Kids might also like exploring the numerous crystal and geode stalls that are surprisingly well priced.
Tamborine Mountain Country Markets for Foodie
Whoooo lordy… when you walk through the gate, first thing that will hit you is the aroma of grilling German sausage. The whole top section is made up of gourmet food carts for the sweet tooth, the savoury tooth and those that just need a kickass coffee on a Sunday morning. The dining area features live entertainment and seating with views over the main kids attractions. YES. It’s possible to sit in a pretty place, eating gourmet food while your kids are distracted. This is actually a real life possibility.
It’s not just about the cooked food though. Mt Tamborine’s famous fresh and spray free local produce is available all over the markets and there are a lot of bargains for “local eaters”. As a coffee junkie, may I recommend the Mountain Coffee.
Gifts at the Markets
Tamborine Mountain Country Markets is absolutely the go-to place for affordable gift shopping. You know when you go to markets and the hand made stuff looks flimsy…. seriously, you know what I mean… Mt Tamborine is a hot spot for artists and artisans and they all bring their wares to market here. From beautifully crafted soaps and jewellery to an original smithy making custom cast iron home decor, there’s potters, bakers, fudge makers, authors, beeders, seamstresses, apothecaries, wood carvers, painters, photographers and herbalists plying their hand crafted wares. And they’re locally made…well.
There’s also a good selection of your standard sellers there too – with quirky kids toys, kitchen wear, plants and the usual bargains you love market shopping for. This is however a market filled with good quality items – there’s no “bric-a-brac” (what even is that?) or car boots open. Despite it being a more “upmarket market” the prices were pretty reasonable and there were plenty of bargains to be had. The November and December markets will be Christmas shopping madhouses!
The best thing about Tamborine Mountain Country Markets is….
…it’s on Mt Tamborine. The jewel in the Gold Coast hinterland, it’s a good deal cooler (in more ways than one) on the mountain. Spend a day tasting locally sourced cuisine at hip little cafes or try out some of the quirky themed restaurants (did someone say sausage?). The views are spectacular, the wineries are delightful and there are more antique stores than you could poke a Victorian era ornate walking stick at. For kids there’s always the activities at Thunderbird Park or the Glow Worm caves – or even a (pricy!) walk amongst the tree tops.
Tamborine Mountain Country Market isn’t just for Gold Coast Families, it makes a wonderful day trip for anyone in South East Queensland.
About the markets:
When: Each second Sunday of the month, 7am to midday
Where: Tamborine Mountain Showgrounds, Bartle Road Mt Tamborine
Travel: Approximately 40 minutes from Surfers Paradise, 1 hour from Brisbane, or 1 hour 15 from Ipswich.
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