The Riccarton Sunday Market is the biggest outdoor market in New Zealand, filling Riccarton Park Racecourse every Sunday from 9am to 2pm — rain or shine. Each week more than 200 vendors set up with an enormous variety of goods: fresh fruit and vegetables, second-hand treasure, furniture, clothing, art, plants and trees, and no shortage of food and beverages. You name it, the market will have it.
It is as much a Sunday outing as a shopping trip. Upwards of 10,000 people — usually between 5,000 and 10,000 depending on the season — come to rummage for bargains, then relax in the outdoor area over lunch while local musicians play. Buskers are scattered around the market, and a large bouncy castle and children's bungy near the Food Court keep the kids busy. Free parking for hundreds of vehicles and a location about 15 minutes' drive from the central city make it an easy trip.
The market is community at heart: Rotary volunteers in yellow hi-vis jackets are on hand to help, three wheelchairs donated by TSB Bank and More Mobility can be borrowed free of charge from the Information Office, and a first aid kit and defibrillator are kept there. The site is an alcohol-free zone and dogs are asked to stay home. The only Sunday closed each year is Easter Sunday — the market trades on Easter Monday instead.
Every Sunday, whatever the weather, the grounds of Riccarton Park Racecourse fill with trestle tables, gazebos and a few thousand people who have made browsing a weekly habit. The Riccarton Sunday Market is the biggest outdoor market in New Zealand, and it trades from 9am to 2pm every Sunday — rain or shine. The only Sunday it closes all year is Easter Sunday, and even then it opens on Easter Monday instead.
The market's own pitch is simple: from fruit and veggies to furniture — you name it, the market will have it. More than 200 vendors set up each week selling fresh fruit and vegetables, second-hand goods, furniture, clothing, art, plants and trees, and food and beverages. Stallholders are asked to present their goods professionally and price them better than retail, which is precisely what keeps the bargain hunters coming back.
Part of the appeal is the not-knowing. Regulars describe it as 'a good old rummage through some treasure' — a stroll among the trees with the adage that you just never know what you might find along the way. One week it might be a collectable, the next a piece of second-hand furniture or a tray of seedlings for the garden.
This is shopping as entertainment. Upwards of 10,000 people make their Sunday shopping fun here — the usual weekly attendance sits between 5,000 and 10,000, depending on the season. There's an outdoor area where you can relax over lunch with friends and family while listening to music from local artists, plus buskers scattered around the market. Families are well catered for too: a large bouncy castle and a children's bungy sit handy to the Food Court.
Getting there is easy. Free parking is available for hundreds of vehicles, and the racecourse is only about 15 minutes' drive from the central city. Once inside, you'll find toilets marked on the market map — a main block in row A and portaloos in row D — four water taps behind the food row, and an ATM at the front of the market next to the site office.
The market has a strong community streak. Rotary volunteers in yellow hi-vis jackets help people find their way, and access is taken seriously: three wheelchairs, donated by TSB Bank and More Mobility, are available free of charge from the Information Office — just book one when you arrive. A first aid kit and defibrillator are kept there as well.
A few house rules keep the day pleasant for everyone. The market is a designated alcohol-free zone, and dogs need to stay at home. Food sold on site must be prepared in licensed commercial premises meeting Christchurch City Council food handling requirements, with prepared food kept covered or in display cases.
The stallholder community is a big part of the market's character. 'As gourmet food vendors of five years, the Riccarton Sunday Market has become our home away from home,' say Sheree and Shane of Two Korn Chefs, describing 'a market vibe that is an eclectic mix of quirky to quaint, offering everything from collectables to consumables.'
Would-be vendors can apply through the market's online booking system. Casual sites should be booked at least two weeks ahead — three months for the busy November and December trade — and permanent sites are offered on a minimum six-month contract. With thousands of visitors every week, the market positions itself as a reliable, affordable sales day for small businesses, backed by a friendly management team on the ground.
Turn up any Sunday between 9am and 2pm. Bring a bag, some cash for smaller stalls, and an appetite for the food vendors. If it's raining, the market still goes ahead, though it operates on a limited basis in wet weather. Leave the dog at home, park for free, and give yourself a couple of hours — at a market this size, the treasure rarely reveals itself in ten minutes.