Nelson Saturday Market

Nelson's market has run continuously since 1983 and takes over a central car park with around three hundred stalls. The mix reflects the region: fruit and vegetables from the Waimea plains, which is some of the most productive horticultural land in the country, alongside olive oil, honey, cheese, smoked fish, bread and cooked food from a large number of small producers. The other half is craft, and that is not incidental - Nelson has an unusually dense population of working artists and makers, with pottery in particular a long local tradition, and much of what is sold here is made locally rather than imported. There is live music and it functions as the town's weekly social event as much as a shopping trip. It runs whatever the weather, though stalls thin out in heavy rain, and it is finished by early afternoon.

What you actually see

• The Waimea produce - fruit and vegetables from the plains behind the city.
• The craft stalls - local potters, makers and artists, not importers.
• The food stalls - cooked breakfast and lunch through the morning.
• The scale - around three hundred stalls in a central square.

When to go

Saturday mornings, roughly 8am to 1pm, year-round. Produce peaks November to April. Go early for the best of both the food and the parking.

Honest expectations

Saturdays only, over by early afternoon. Central parking is difficult from mid-morning. Stall numbers drop in winter and heavy rain. Prices are market prices, not wholesale.

Nearby

Nelson city centre and the Suter gallery are alongside; Mapua Wharf is west.