Five weekend markets sit within about 25 minutes’ drive of Cashelmara at Burleigh Heads, and you can string them into one north-to-south run down the coast. Three run on Saturday mornings, one on Sunday, and the big Carrara market trades both days, so there is a market for every weekend morning of your stay.
None of them clash, which is what makes the circuit work. Below is the run from the northern end down toward the border, with the walk or drive from our front door, the verified hours, and what each one is actually good for.
Marina Mirage Farmers Market, Main Beach
The northern end of the circuit is the Marina Mirage Farmers Market, held undercover every Saturday from 7am to 12 noon at 74 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach. From Cashelmara it is about a 25-minute drive north: the Gold Coast Highway up through Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise, across the Sundale Bridge, then onto Seaworld Drive to the marina. The Marina Mirage market leans into freshly picked seasonal produce, hand-crafted local delicacies and handmade goods, all set on the water at the marina. Being fully undercover, it is the one to pick if the forecast looks shaky. Parking is plentiful and undercover too, which makes it an easy first stop before the day warms up.
Gold Coast Organic Farmers Market, Mermaid Waters
Slightly inland and just north of us, the Gold Coast Organic Farmers Market runs every Sunday from 6am to 11:30am at Merrimac State High School on Dunlop Court, Mermaid Waters. From the front door it is about a 12-minute drive: the Gold Coast Highway north, then across on Markeri Street toward Sunshine Boulevard. The organic market bills itself as Australia’s first certified-organic farmers market, and every stall sells certified-organic produce sourced direct from growers, alongside organic bread, eggs, pantry goods and coffee. Parking at the school is free and easy. It trades year-round regardless of weather, but the 11:30am finish is the earliest on the circuit, so this is one to do first rather than last if you want the full spread of stalls.
Carrara Markets: the Gold Coast’s big weekender
Carrara Markets is the all-weather option and the biggest of the five, with more than 300 stalls at the Gold Coast Trotting Centre in Carrara, about a 15-minute drive inland from Cashelmara. Take the Gold Coast Highway then head west toward Nerang and Carrara, corner of Manchester Road and Gooding Drive. Carrara Markets opens both Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 3pm, with the popular car boot sale running Sunday mornings from 7am. Expect the lot: fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, clothing, homewares, secondhand finds, coffee and food trucks. Entry and parking are free, and much of it sits under cover, so it holds up when the weather does not. Guests keep mentioning it as the rainy-morning fallback when the beach is out.
Is the Burleigh Market worth a Saturday morning?
Yes, and it is the closest of the five, which makes it the easiest to fold into a normal Saturday. The Burleigh Market runs every Saturday from 7am to 12 noon at Burleigh Heads State School, on the corner of Lower Gold Coast Highway and West Burleigh Road. It is about a five-minute drive from Cashelmara, or a 25-minute walk south along the foreshore if you would rather leave the car. Expect fresh farm produce, organic fruit and vegetables, gourmet and global food, meat, fish, deli goods, flowers, plants, and a big handmade and antiques section, with live entertainment each week and a pre-owned and vintage run on the last Saturday of the month. Guests keep mentioning the coffee-and-pastry lap before the beach. Parking on the school oval is free.
What can you buy at the Palm Beach Farmers’ Market?
Fresh produce and pantry staples, and plenty of them, because this is the biggest farmers market on the circuit. The Palm Beach Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday from 6am to 11:30am at Palm Beach Currumbin State High School on Thrower Drive, about a 12-minute drive south of Cashelmara along the Gold Coast Highway through Palm Beach to Currumbin. Between 75 and 80 stallholders turn up each week with fruit and vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, artisan bread, smallgoods and health foods, and many of the growers are certified organic, biodynamic or spray-free. It has run under the same operator since 2000. Parking at the school is free, and it trades rain, hail or shine. One thing to know before you load the car: dogs are not permitted, under the council food-safety rules.
Questions guests ask us about the weekend markets
Which markets are on near Burleigh Heads over the weekend?
Five are within a short drive of Cashelmara. Saturday mornings: the Marina Mirage Farmers Market at Main Beach, the Burleigh Market at the State School, and the Palm Beach Farmers’ Market at Currumbin. Sunday: the Gold Coast Organic Farmers Market at Mermaid Waters. Carrara Markets runs both Saturday and Sunday.
Are the Gold Coast markets on if it rains?
Yes, all five trade in wet weather. The Marina Mirage market and much of Carrara Markets are held undercover, so rain is no issue. The Burleigh, Palm Beach and Gold Coast Organic farmers markets run rain, hail or shine, since they are produce markets that operate every week regardless of the forecast.
Is there parking at the Burleigh and Palm Beach markets?
Yes, and both are free. The Burleigh Market has parking on the school oval on Lower Gold Coast Highway, and the Palm Beach Farmers’ Market has parking at Palm Beach Currumbin State High School on Thrower Drive. Arriving before 8am gives you the easiest run at a spot on a busy Saturday.
Can you walk to a market from Cashelmara?
The Burleigh Market is walkable. It is about a 25-minute stroll or a short ride south along the foreshore and Gold Coast Highway to the State School. The other four markets are a 12 to 25 minute drive, so they suit a car morning rather than a walk from your apartment.
Which market is best for fresh organic produce?
The Gold Coast Organic Farmers Market at Mermaid Waters, which trades every Sunday and sells only certified-organic produce direct from growers. The Palm Beach Farmers’ Market is the other strong pick, with many organic, biodynamic and spray-free growers among its 75 or so stalls each Saturday.
Pick one market a morning and you have a weekend sorted, or run the whole circuit north to south across a Saturday and Sunday if you like a full basket by lunchtime. Either way, they are all a short hop from our stretch of Burleigh beachfront. For more of what is on around the corner, our Burleigh shopping and markets guide rounds up the boutiques and makers too. Ready to plan your own market weekend? Check availability at Cashelmara.
Image credit: Palm Beach Farmers’ Market
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