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Best Farmers Markets Victoria 2026 — Family-Friendly Guide
Best Farmers Markets Victoria 2026 — Family-Friendly Guide
Victoria's farmers markets are some of the best in Australia, and for families they offer something genuinely different from a standard family outing: real food, real producers, and the sensory richness of a busy outdoor market. From the Collingwood Children's Farm Market to the Red Hill Community Market on the Mornington Peninsula, the Dandenong Market to the sprawling South Melbourne Market, this guide covers the best family-friendly farmers markets across Victoria for 2026.
By VicBuzz Team | Last updated March 2026
Table of Contents
Why Farmers Markets Are Great for Families
Taking children to a farmers market is one of those activities that is genuinely educational without feeling like an educational activity. Children who see where food comes from — who talk to the farmer who grew their carrots, who smell fresh bread from a wood-fired oven, who watch cheese being cut from a wheel — develop a relationship with food that supermarket shopping simply cannot create.
The best Victorian farmers markets also work as complete family outings in their own right. Food stalls cover breakfast and lunch. There's usually entertainment or ambient music. The atmosphere is relaxed and outdoor. Children can move around freely in a way that indoor venues don't allow. And parents get to eat genuinely good food while the kids are engaged.
Markets with added attractions — farm animals, playgrounds, water features nearby — work best for the very youngest children. For school-aged kids, the market itself is usually engaging enough.
Best Farmers Markets in Melbourne's Inner Suburbs
Collingwood Children's Farm Market
When: Second and fourth Saturday of each month
Where: Collingwood Children's Farm, St Heliers Street, Abbotsford
The Collingwood Children's Farm Market is the most family-oriented market in Melbourne and consistently one of the most loved. The market itself is excellent — strong emphasis on organic and biodynamic produce, a good bakery presence, artisan food stalls, and local growers. But the real point of difference is the farm behind it.
The Collingwood Children's Farm is a working urban farm with cows, pigs, goats, chickens, geese, and sheep. After the market, families pay a small farm entry fee and spend time with the animals. Milking demonstrations run on weekend mornings. Children who pat a goat and then buy goat cheese from the market stallholder have made a connection between animal and food that stays with them.
The surrounding Yarra Bend parkland is also beautiful for a post-market walk or picnic.
South Melbourne Market
When: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Where: Corner of Coventry and Cecil Streets, South Melbourne
South Melbourne Market is one of Melbourne's oldest and largest market institutions. It's not exclusively a farmers market — it has an excellent food hall, a range of vendors, and a mix of fresh produce and specialty goods. For families, it's an excellent Saturday morning destination with easy access to the Shrine of Remembrance gardens and the Albert Park Lake.
The food stalls at South Melbourne Market are some of Melbourne's most popular. The dim sims (deep-fried, not steamed) from South Melbourne Market have achieved genuine Melbourne landmark status.
The Queen Victoria Market
When: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Where: Corner of Queen and Victoria Streets, Melbourne CBD
The Queen Victoria Market (QVM) is Melbourne's largest open-air market and one of Australia's most significant heritage market sites. For families, the fresh food halls are the main draw — extraordinary variety, great prices, and a scale that is genuinely impressive. The deli hall in particular is a world of flavours.
QVM also runs seasonal events during school holidays and summer evenings that add a different dimension to the market experience. The Summer Night Market runs on Wednesday evenings during summer and is excellent for families.
Preston Market
When: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Where: Murray Road, Preston
Preston Market is the north Melbourne equivalent of Dandenong Market — a vibrant, multicultural, no-frills produce market with exceptional variety and low prices. For families in Melbourne's north, it's a strong alternative to the QVM with easier parking and a more relaxed atmosphere.
Best Farmers Markets in Melbourne's Outer Suburbs
Berwick Village Market — Berwick
When: Last Sunday of each month
Where: Akoonah Park, Berwick
The Berwick Village Market at Akoonah Park combines a beautiful market setting with excellent local produce and the lovely Berwick foreshore surroundings. It's a relaxed, community-oriented market that reflects the character of the suburb well. Good for families from the south-east. More in our Berwick kids guide.
Dandenong Market — Dandenong
When: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Where: Cleeland Street, Dandenong
As covered in our Dandenong family activities guide, Dandenong Market is one of Victoria's most extraordinary market experiences. The multicultural food produce hall is exceptional — 150+ cultures represented in stalls selling ingredients and prepared food from around the world. For families with adventurous eaters, it's a genuine food education. Entry is free.
Ringwood Sunday Market
When: Sundays
Where: Ringwood
The Ringwood market area has a Sunday market that serves the outer east well. Good produce, artisan food, and craft stalls in an easy to navigate outdoor format.
Best Farmers Markets on the Mornington Peninsula
Red Hill Community Market
When: First Saturday of each month
Where: Red Hill Recreation Reserve, Red Hill
The Red Hill Community Market is one of Victoria's finest regional farmers markets and a highlight of any peninsula visit. Set in the beautiful Red Hill Recreation Reserve in the peninsula's hinterland, the market has:
The Red Hill area is at the heart of the Mornington Peninsula's food and wine region. Combining the market with a farm gate visit or a drive through the hinterland makes a complete family morning.
Mornington Racecourse Market
When: Third Sunday of each month
Where: Mornington Racecourse
A larger market format in Mornington that combines produce with general goods, craft, and food. Good for families visiting Mornington for the day.
Flinders Village Market
A smaller, community-oriented market in the village of Flinders on the ocean side of the peninsula. The setting is beautiful and the scale is intimate. More about the village than a formal produce market, but worth knowing about for families exploring Flinders.
For more about the peninsula's food scene, read our kids activities Mornington Peninsula guide.
Best Farmers Markets in the Yarra Valley
Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Markets
The Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm near Yering is a market setting as much as a cafe, with regular farm events and farm-gate markets during berry season. The surrounding area has several farm-gate operations worth calling in on.
Healesville and Yarra Glen Area Markets
The Yarra Valley has a strong seasonal market culture. Markets at various locations through the valley run during the main seasons. Check Tourism Yarra Valley's current listings for the most active market schedule.
Yarra Valley Wine and Food Festival (Seasonal)
The broader Yarra Valley food and wine festival activities during spring bring producers and market-style events across the valley. While these are seasonal, the farm gates operating year-round (Yering, Coldstream, Wandin North corridor) are always accessible.
For a full overview of what the Yarra Valley offers families, read our kids activities Yarra Valley guide.
Best Regional Farmers Markets in Victoria
Warragul Farmers Market — West Gippsland
When: Third Saturday of each month
Where: Civic Park, Warragul
Warragul's farmers market is one of regional Victoria's best. Gippsland's extraordinary farming country produces some of Australia's finest dairy, beef, lamb, and vegetables, and Warragul's market is where you find the best of it. The produce quality is exceptional. A Warragul market visit is worth the 90-minute drive from Melbourne for families who take food seriously.
Ballarat Farmers Market
When: Third Saturday of each month
Where: Various Ballarat locations (check website)
Ballarat's farmers market is a good complement to a Sovereign Hill visit. The central Victorian food region is excellent for seasonal produce, and the market has strong representation from local growers, bakers, and food producers.
Geelong Farmers Market
When: Second Saturday of each month
Where: Geelong Showgrounds
The Geelong Farmers Market at the showgrounds is well-regarded for quality produce from the Geelong and Bellarine region. Combine with a Geelong waterfront visit for a good family Saturday. More about Geelong in our Geelong with kids guide.
Daylesford Farmers Market
When: Third Sunday of each month
Where: Central Springs Reserve, Daylesford
Daylesford is a spa town about 90 minutes from Melbourne with a strong foodie culture. The farmers market has excellent local produce from the surrounding volcanic plains and hill country. Daylesford itself is a beautiful town worth exploring with older children.
Castlemaine Farmers Market
When: Third Saturday of each month
Where: Mostyn Street, Castlemaine
Castlemaine is a characterful regional town about 2 hours from Melbourne. The market has a strong arts and food community culture and is excellent for families on a Mount Alexander/Castlemaine day trip.
Tips for Taking Kids to a Farmers Market
Arrive early. The best produce sells out and the freshest bread goes first. More practically for families: it's less crowded, the atmosphere is more relaxed, and you're not navigating a sea of Saturday afternoon shoppers with a pram.
Eat there, not beforehand. The food at good Victorian farmers markets is genuinely excellent. Coming hungry means the kids will engage with the food stalls rather than dragging you toward the exit.
Give older kids a small budget. Letting a 7-year-old spend $5 at the market on whatever they choose is a powerful exercise in food curiosity. They tend to choose the most interesting thing on offer.
Let toddlers touch (within reason). The tactile experience of a market — herbs, textured bread, rough vegetables — is valuable sensory play. Most stallholders are happy for children to smell fresh herbs or handle a piece of fruit.
Have a bag system. Markets with young children mean hands full of purchases and potentially a pram. A backpack or a market bag you can carry on your back rather than in your hands makes navigating much easier.
Plan parking in advance. Melbourne's inner market locations (QVM, South Melbourne, Collingwood) have varying parking situations. Check the market website or use public transport where possible.
What to Buy at Victorian Farmers Markets for Families
The best market purchases for family households:
Sourdough bread: Every good Victorian farmers market has at least one excellent sourdough baker. A loaf for Sunday lunch or the week ahead is a genuinely worthwhile market purchase.
Fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables: The quality difference between market produce and supermarket produce is significant. Stone fruit, berries, and leafy greens in particular are worth buying at markets.
Free-range eggs: Almost every good market has local egg producers. The taste difference is noticeable.
Artisan jams, preserves, and honey: These make excellent gifts and last well. Local honey in particular is worth buying when you find a quality producer.
Fresh pasta and local cheese: Both are well represented at Victorian farmers markets and both are significantly better from a producer market than from a supermarket.
Kids' food: Most good Victorian markets have food stalls with simpler options for children. Good pastries, fresh fruit, simple food that kids will actually eat without a battle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best farmers market in Victoria for families?
The Collingwood Children's Farm Market (second and fourth Saturday of each month in Abbotsford) is consistently considered the best family farmers market in Victoria because it combines excellent produce with a working farm that children can visit. For regional markets, Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula is exceptional.
Are Victorian farmers markets free to enter?
Most Victorian farmers markets are free to enter. The Collingwood Children's Farm adds a small farm entry fee if you want to visit the animals (which is strongly recommended). Car parking at inner Melbourne markets can incur costs — check before you go.
What time should I arrive at a Victorian farmers market with kids?
Opening time or within the first 30 minutes is ideal. The best produce sells early, the crowds are smaller, and younger children are at their best early in the morning before fatigue sets in.
Can I bring my own bags to Victorian farmers markets?
Yes — and you should. Most markets have stallholders who prefer customers to bring their own bags. A good canvas market bag or backpack makes carrying purchases significantly easier.
Which Victorian farmers market has the best fresh food to eat on site?
South Melbourne Market, the Queen Victoria Market, and Dandenong Market all have outstanding on-site food. For regional markets, the Red Hill market has excellent food stalls. The Collingwood Children's Farm Market has good food stalls in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Sources
Written by the VicBuzz Team. For more food and family activity ideas across Victoria, see our best family days out from Melbourne guide and our Mornington Peninsula family guide.
Author: VicBuzz Team — local parents and community contributors covering family life across Victoria.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best farmers market in Victoria for families?
The South Melbourne Market and the Collingwood Children's Farm Market are consistently rated Victoria's best family-friendly markets in Melbourne. For regional markets, the Red Hill Community Market on the Mornington Peninsula and the Warragul Farmers Market in West Gippsland are both excellent for families.
Are Victorian farmers markets good for kids?
Yes. The best Victorian farmers markets are genuinely engaging for children — fresh produce, interesting food stalls, animals at farm gate venues, and the sensory experience of a busy market are all stimulating for young children. Markets with outdoor settings and space to move around work best with younger children.
What is the Collingwood Children's Farm Market like?
The Collingwood Children's Farm Market runs on the second and fourth Saturday of each month at the Collingwood Children's Farm. Families can browse the market and then visit the working farm with goats, pigs, chickens, and cows. Entry to the farm is charged separately. It's one of Melbourne's most loved family market experiences.
What days do Melbourne farmers markets run?
Melbourne's farmers markets run on various days across the week. Most large markets (Collingwood Children's Farm, South Melbourne, Preston, Abbotsford Convent) run on weekends. Smaller neighbourhood markets often run on Saturdays. Regional markets typically run monthly, often on the first or last Sunday of the month.
Are there free things to do at Victorian farmers markets for kids?
Browsing and exploring at most Victorian farmers markets is free or very low cost. Many markets have free entertainment including buskers and demonstrations. The farm animals at venues like Collingwood Children's Farm cost a small farm entry fee but are a highlight for young children.