New roots for Bangalow Farmers Market

BANGALOW Farmers Market will begin a new era on December 7 when it relocates permanently to Piccabeen Park, near Bangalow Heritage House Museum.

The market has been held in the Bangalow Hotel car park for 20 years, but upcoming renovations meant organisers had to start looking at alternate locations.

Bangalow Farmers Market manager Kylie McGregor said a post on the Bangalow Community Facebook page started by one of the businesses in the main street asking the community what they thought about the market moving to the park prompted the change.

“There has been talk in the community about this on and off for years,” she said. “We watched the community’s response and the vast majority were in favour of the idea, so we looked at this more thoroughly as a permanent option rather than a temporary one.”

McGregor said the new site offers more parking, more shade and the chance to expand the number of stallholders from around 30 to 40, enabling more food and drink options.

“Plus, there’s the playground for the kids and Piccabeen Park is also dog-friendly, so dogs on leads will be welcome.

“We plan to utilise the beautiful space in front of the Museum for our community to spend time – with tables and chairs and outdoor rugs.

It just feels like a well-rounded offering for our community.”

McGregor said she was incredibly grateful to Bangalow Hotel owners Tom and Cathryn Mooney for allowing them to operate the market there for so long.

“When the market was first started all those years ago, there was quite a bit of opposition to it, and it was the Mooneys who supported the market and offered the market a venue in which to operate,” she said.

“It will be sad to leave, but after 20 years, it’s a chance to evolve the market into a new era.”