Greg Scott (left) and John Quinn of Gembrook RSL cook up a storm at Gembrook Market.SUNDAY, 27 August will be Gembrook Market’s first birthday and organisers are encouraging everyone to visit the market that day and celebrate the occasion.
The day will have something for everyone with a wide range of stalls for adults to browse through and start thinking about early Christmas gifts.
Children will have plenty to smile about with free entertainment including farmyard animals, a jumping castle and free balloons and lollies.
The market place will also come to life with performances by Joe Hilder and his bushband friends, and market regular JJ Cuthbert.
Every visitor can enter the free market draw made up of prizes donated by stallholders ensuring some lucky market-goers will take home valuable goodies.
Since the market began in August 2006 it has earned a reputation for quality merchandise that is different from what can be found at other markets.
Strict guidelines ensure that mass produced or imported goods are not sold, and in cases where products need raw materials that are not available in Australia, the goods must be made in Australia by the stallholder and still have a high Australian content.
Most of the fresh food and produce stalls have goods made or grown by the stallholder, with seasonal fruits and vegetables straight from the farm a special highlight.
The market’s commitment to promoting sustainable living has also attracted stallholders who recycle materials that otherwise would be discarded into landfill, reworking them to create different and unique items. These craftspeople offer a range of metal or wood products, as well as leadlighting, mosaics and clothing.
No market could be without its plant sellers and Gembrook Market’s plant sellers offer a wide range of exotic and native plants, complemented by stalls with colourful cut flowers.
Other stalls include unusual crafts and cottage industry products, hand made soaps and other personal items, chopping boards, picture frames, jewellery, leatherwork and sheepskin products.
As market-goers browse through the stalls their tastebuds will be tantalised by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, a range of sweet and savoury foods, and the community barbecue, which is operated by Gembrook groups fundraising for their various projects.
