Newtown Community Market is successful enough that in 2012 it won a council-supported business achievement award. Popular enough that last year the organisers, Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, lodged a development application to expand its ongoing operation, but eliciting objection to the effect “they stole customers from bricks-and-mortar retailers” and votes from a number of Marrickville councillors to actually cease operations. The response was almost 4000 people signed a petition fighting to keep the markets open. People power won. Personally, I believe the retailers benefit from the presence the markets attract.
Described as “small-but-hip” Newtown Markets are the lazy Saturday morning option for the G.O. and me. It’s a leisurely walk browsing the eclectic King Street shops en route. When we don’t need much in the way of groceries our produce necessities are simply & wonderfully catered for by Sariwa Fresh Foods. No need to fight for car parking or lug a laden granny trolley 2 kms home from Eveleigh Farmers’ Market.
And, with unspent grocery money burning a hole in our pockets there are my personal favourites: second-hand books and socks… [new socks, that is; I have cat socks, dog socks, fox socks, owl socks, pink flamingo socks and more, some remaining only singly which I mix and match]; and all manner of interesting things once encountered you could hardly live without.
“Newtown Market offers low-risk business opportunities for local artists and craftspeople in a high profile location to promote and sell their unique creations. The Market is organised by Newtown Neighbourhood Centre to raise funds for its community support programs. This community market has become the common ground, a place where people can interact, alive with social and economic activities. We believe our vibrant market strengthens the local identify and serves to amplify cherished aspects of Newtown’s local culture.
The Corner is a live music space located at the Newtown Community Market. The space provides local buskers with an opportunity to reach a new audience, promote their music while being encouraged to put out their cases and to sell their cd’s. The Corner has hosted a range of musical styles including Gypsy Jazz, solo artists, theatrical performances, blues, electronica, Newtown Primary’s Jazz Orchestra, soul, reggae and Latin. The Corner brings new life to the markets, entertaining market goers and stallholders with music to shop along to, or to sit and enjoy.”
The market is held in Newtown Square adjacent to The Hub, outside the community centre, opposite Newtown Railway Station on King Street, from 10 am to 4 pm every Saturday.
Newtown Neighbourhood Centre is also the organiser of Newtown Festival which on one Sunday each November attracts 80,000 people to Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.
daleleelife101.blog 
My parents worked on a traditional market. Market days were always regarded as the busiest days in town and shop traders said they did better too, partly because the markets attracted people who wouldn’t normally go to town.
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When Council was considering the market’s future, those comments attracted quite a bit of publicity because they didn’t make sense. Who knows what machinations were going on behind the scenes.
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The market sounds like a fun place to walk round and much ,less restrictive than shops.It would be very short sighted to try and close something down that benefits the local people and brings in shoppers from elsewhere to the area.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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I believe the dissenting Councilor’s opinion wasn’t commonly held. The markets and retail shops complement each other. Certainly, we more often than not patronize local retail shop during the course of our Saturday market excursion.
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What an excellent market and what a fine sock stall. I am in my no sock period of the year which I love. I’m very unimaginative about socks for myself. Just one of those things, I guess;)
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If you are happy with your plain sock life that is a fine thing because my experimentation started by deviating with just one pair, of cat socks 🙂
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What a fabulous place. I’m determined to get there next time I visit Sydney 😀
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Wonderful 🙂 I think visiting markets is a great local experience wherever you go.
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A wonderfully warm ‘home’ environment which definitely should not be closed. What could make one possibly feel more relaxed than standing in front of that sock stall going’ eeny-meeny-mani-mo’!! Not funning – on a wonderful online July sale of socks a couple of days back a few of my pairs have definitely ‘funny’ colours and patterns on them!! [Three dollars a pair . . . the market better 🙂 ?]
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You definitely got a good sock bargain. I’m not sure what I paid – I would have remembered though if it was as little as $3 pp. I think the sock business is sound, nearly all of us wear socks for work or play 🙂
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Blessedly living rurally . . . who wears anything but slacks . . . and socks 🙂 ! OK, ‘boring’ Kayser and Holeproof etc [my humble apologies to all concerned 😀 !!] But I am not complaining!!!!!
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‘low-risk business opportunities for local artists and craftspeople in a high profile location’ – fabulous! And I LOVE a good market. It’s the direction we need to move in if we want to crawl out of this consumer claptrap dungeon we have dug ourselves into.
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Well said 🙂 I hate department stores and malls, and grudgingly shop at supermarkets when I have to. But if there is a market on somewhere we are then it’s a given we’ll check it out.
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I love a fun outdoor market. They are great places to pick up cool items. Awesome pictures!
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Thank you. We love making these markets just a part of a normal Saturday 🙂
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