Saturday is Market Day

Saturday is market day here in Sydney, sometimes you can still get some good deals by going on Friday or Sunday but most of the big outdoor markets are only open on Saturday. Basically every Saturday, Sydney becomes this giant craft festival where all the vendors come out and show their trade as well as sell to locals.

The cheapest by far is Paddy’s Market which is more like a giant souvenir shop than a craft festival but it is a great spot for deals. I talked a little about Paddy’s market several other times at the beginning of my trip because I stumbled across it the first week I was here.

The other market that I really love is the Rocks Market. The Rocks are the historical district in Sydney. The Rocks were built during the first European settlement in Australia in 1788. Soon after it became an area of high Gang Activity from the notorious Rock Push gang which later contributed to the name of the area. The population at the Rocks was almost wiped out completely in the 1900’s by the plague but it still has a lot of buildings that were built soon after as almost all of the buildings were demolished in hopes of eliminating the disease. The Rocks reside mostly under the Sydney Harbour bridge which so happens to be the spot of the Rocks Saturday Market.

The Rocks market

This market I have visited more times than any of the others because I love the vibe. They invite local artists to play, blues, jazz, and folk in the street alongside the stalls. So you walk down a brick street with music playing around you and live wizzing by on either side. It is one of my favorite things in Sydney. All of this takes place under the bridge and alongside historical buildings. In my opinion, it is a must do in Sydney and really lets you feel the Sydney culture. The vendors are all really nice and even if you don’t buy anything, sometimes it is fun to just talk to them. They appreciate people getting to know them and learning about their craft.  

Paddington Market

Another market to mention is the Paddington Saturday Market has been going in 1973. Whether it is raining or sunny, you can stroll through the market, get some delicious food and check out the vendors. I think that the vendors, for the most part, were better at the Rocks but it was still a fun market to visit and I even found a taste of one of my favorite Polish treats.

This is a Chimney cake. I first had one in Poland last summer and I found a Polish vendor here in Sydney

I have been to a couple other Australian Markets like the one in Manly and the one in Cairns and it is one of the coolest things in my opinion. They don’t have anything like that in Arizona and it is truly something I think everyone should experience.