The Riccarton Sunday Market is New Zealand's largest outdoor market, held every Sunday from 9am to 2pm — rain or shine — at Riccarton Racecourse, Riccarton Park, 165 Racecourse Road, Christchurch. With more than 200 stalls and crowds of up to 10,000 people on a busy day, it has become both a major Christchurch tourist attraction and a genuine local institution.
The market began in 1989 as a humble car boot sale fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Riccarton and has since enabled the club to put over $3,000,000 back into the community. It is still Rotary-run, and entry, parking and entertainment are all free: live music from local artists in the outdoor area, buskers scattered among the stalls, and a large bouncy castle and children's bungy handy to the Food Court.
Shopping spans fresh fruit and vegetables — the cheap veggies are a real drawcard — alongside second-hand goods, furniture, clothing, art, plants and trees, and a wide variety of food and beverages. Long-time stallholders include woodturner Noel Graham (here since 2001), natural cosmetics maker Henrietta's Country Creams (25+ years) and gourmet food vendors Two Korn Chefs. The only Sunday the market closes each year is Easter Sunday, when it opens instead on Easter Monday. It is an alcohol-free zone, dogs are asked to stay home, and three wheelchairs are available to borrow free of charge from the Information Office.
Every Sunday morning, whatever the weather, the grounds of Riccarton Park fill with rows of trestle tables, crates of fresh produce and thousands of bargain hunters. The Riccarton Sunday Market is the largest outdoor market in New Zealand, drawing between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors on a typical weekend to Riccarton Racecourse at 165 Racecourse Road, Christchurch. Entry is free, parking is free and so is the entertainment — which goes a long way to explaining why this place has become a genuine Christchurch institution.
The market began in 1989 as a humble car boot sale raising funds for the Rotary Club of Riccarton. More than three decades on, it has enabled the club to put over $3,000,000 back into the community, while making what its organisers describe as an immense contribution to the commercial and business life of Christchurch. It is now a major tourist attraction in its own right.
Remarkably, the community roots still show. The market is run by Rotary, with volunteers in yellow hi-vis jackets helping direct operations each week, and many stallholders treat it as a second home. Woodturner Noel Graham has traded here since 2001 and says the market has provided his sole income, giving his craft an affordable outlet that would have been hard to find elsewhere. Henrietta's Country Creams has sold natural cosmetics here for over 25 years and calls it the best market in New Zealand. Gourmet food vendors Two Korn Chefs, five years in, simply describe it as their home away from home.
With more than 200 stalls, the honest answer is: just about everything. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a cornerstone — the market is well known for its cheap veggies — and they sit alongside second-hand goods, furniture, clothing, art, plants and trees, and a wide variety of food and beverages. As the organisers like to say, you name it and the market will have it, including lots of bargains.
The mix runs from quirky to quaint, in the words of Two Korn Chefs — collectables one minute, consumables the next. Half the fun is not knowing what you'll come home with: a piece of turned wood, a vintage chair, a tray of seconds, a jar of something homemade.
Come hungry. The Food Court anchors the food side of things, with gourmet vendors serving hot lunch, and the outdoor area is made for relaxing over a meal with family and friends while local artists play. Buskers are scattered around the market to keep you entertained between stalls, and there is plenty for children too — a large bouncy castle and a children's bungy sit handy to the Food Court.
Practicalities are well sorted. Free parking accommodates hundreds of vehicles, and the racecourse is only about 15 minutes' drive from the central city. Three wheelchairs, donated by TSB Bank and More Mobility, are available to borrow at no charge — just book at the Information Office. The market is an alcohol-free zone, and dogs are asked to stay at home.
The market trades every Sunday from 9am to 2pm, rain or shine. In wet weather it runs on a limited basis, so a damp forecast does not necessarily mean a wasted trip — just a smaller lineup of stalls. The only Sunday it closes each year is Easter Sunday, when it opens instead on Easter Monday. For who's playing and which stalls are on this week, the market's What's On page is updated ahead of each Sunday.
For small makers and traders, the pitch is simple: guaranteed foot traffic of up to 10,000 people every weekend, without the guesswork. Casual sites are booked through a digital system at least two weeks ahead — three months for the busy November and December run-up — and casual stallholders need to be on site from 7am, set up no later than 8.30am. Single sites measure 3 by 6 metres, with double and triple options, and permanent six-month contracts are available for those wanting a regular spot. Food prepared on site must comply with Food & Hygiene Regulations, and second-hand dealers need an official licence.
Whether you go for the produce, the pre-loved furniture or simply the atmosphere — a stroll among the trees with, as one long-time vendor puts it, the sense that you never know what you might find — the Riccarton Sunday Market is about as Christchurch as a Sunday morning gets.