MASSIVE food and vegetable marketplace in Brisbane on a Saturday for the public. $2 entry adults,…read morefree admission for kids. There is everything you can think of here. Popcorn, fresh fish, meat, flowers, all kinds of produce, wool, ton of food trucks, live music. My friend got the Japanese pancakes and I had a bite. Very fluffy and a touch of sweetness. I had a hankering for eggs so I found a truck called Mum's Crepes mmmm mm I got a nice piping hot cheese and mushroom omelette $8 plus 1.50 per extra topping. Very neat marketplace experience. The produce is cheaper than the supermarkets.

Brisbane Market Place (more commonly known as the Rocklea Markets) is the place to be for all your…read morefresh fruit and veg, organic and free range eggs, cheeses, herbs, spices, all thrown in with some of the best coffee and food stalls around. I love going to these markets even if I don't intend to buy anything just for the food stalls. The Greek stall has great cheese and some fantastic yoghurt on offer. There is also some German style hot dogs, and oh my goodness a whole rack of jerky. I could easily come here week after week just to try all the food let alone stock up on my much needed vegetables. I often play a game when I go to the markets. I never quite know what I want to buy so I just go with not only what looks fresh but what sparks my interest. There was one day when I went to the markets and realised that all the fruit and veg was big enough to feed a giant. So I decided to only get insanely large food. I walked out with a sweet potato bigger than my head which pretty much fed me for a week. Following this I have had theme weeks where I decided on only getting conjoined twin veggies like two mushrooms that grew fused together, or tiny vegetables week where there were mini onions and potatoes. I like shopping with a theme like this and the Rocklea Markets definitely throws you not only cheap fruit and veg but always unexpected finds. I recommend going with family or a group of friends as the best deals are often in bulk buying. A whole box of melons for $5 you say? Yes please! Also bring along your own bags. And there is free parking across the way or $3 parking at the Market itself. The Rocklea Markets offer not only the best deals on fruit and veg I have seen in a long time but are just pure fun! I urge you to check them out.

On the first Sunday of each month, a few blocks of Blackwood Street in Mitchelton is closed off the…read morefor the Jan Power's Farmers Markets. The Mitchelton Farmers Markets feature many of the same quality stall owners that go to all of the Jan Power's series of markets, but there's also a few others who I only see a Mitchy. I love getting a nice cold drink from the Lime man - all his products are Lime based. He sells amazing Lime cordial to take home - remember to bring my your glass bottle when you're finished and get $1 off your next bottle. He also sells Lime salt which is delicious on avocado, or to rim your margarita glass with. There's a couple of different German Sausage stalls to pick from, if you like a good german sausage and sauerkraut. The one up in the middle of the markets (just off the little side street) sells you the sausage cut up on a plate as an option, instead of in a bun - so good for people like me who want to limit their bread intact. There's also dumplings and waffles and crepes and coffee stalls, so don't eat breakfast before you come. There are plenty of delicious bakeries that sell organic bread, spelt bread, sourdough and other types of bread. There is also a man selling heavily discounted cheese that is close to the Best Before date (but still is good for a bit longer) so you can pick up some bargain cheese. There are heaps of fresh produce stalls selling fruit and vegetables. There's a stall that just does apples and has about half a dozen different types of apple (with sample and tasters available) and they also do amazing cloudy apple juice. The markets run from 6am to midday, but so many of the stalls sell out of the product well before closing time, so the earlier you get there, the better.

Grab your eco-tote, your smug trolley shopping list and wander down to Blackwood Street on the…read morefirst Sunday of the month for a compact version of the Jan Power's Farmers Market. Be warned, by 8:30am the street is packed and your market experience becomes more like shuffling through a sardine tin. There's favourites like The Goat Pie Guy, Sol Breads and I Love Brownies, as well as ample fresh produce stalls, flowers sellers and strategically placed coffee carts to keep you caffeinated regardless what end of the street you start your market haul at.

I'll confess, I LOVE a good farmers market....actually almost any market. I've been trying to buy…read moremore local foods, to help support local suppliers and after reading their website I decided to give The Gap Farmers Market a try. The markets are held every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month and located on the MASSIVE oval of the Hilda Road State School. The easiest and best access is from Hilda Road. While the potential for these markets to grow is definitely there, I don't know if it was because it was early in the year or the heat, but I found these markets tiny and a little disappointing. With only a handful of stalls, I was a bit underwhelmed. There were two very promising direct from the farmer meat stalls and a bagel stand (6 for $10 with very friendly and helpful staff). There was only 2 fruit and vege stands that I could see with slim pickings left. There was however a kids activity zone and 2 separate music acts at each end of the stalls. I will come back and see if there are more stalls however if this is the usual amount then I would suggest heading to the bigger Blackwood Street markets.

With so many farmers' markets to choose from it took a morning run along the lovely Manly-Wynnum…read moreEsplanade to stumble upon this. Compared to some of the other ones that I frequent more regularly, I thought the Manly FM was great for a few reasons. This is still a real market with more produce stalls than clothing/soap/etc or 'food court' style offerings. The layout is excellent, with most stalls located in a pyramid/triangle shape around a central area with live music. The location along the water front, next to the pool, and adjacent to the boat harbour allows for little side activities of your choosing. Without having planned this in advance, we left with multiple bags of food enough to get us through the week and then some. This may be my new favourite place for weekend shopping!

A around once a month or so on a Sunday, my boyfriend and I cruise down to Manly, grab a coffee and…read morewander around the markets. I have only bought one thing so far but it is more the relaxed vibe that keeps me coming back. I bought an amazing portrait of an emu from a local wildlife photographer, Kangafroggy. Check out his stall if you come across it, his animal portraits are outstanding. The markets overlook the marina and are bordered with water views on one side and restaurants and cafes on the other. They have fruit, artwork, novelty items, flowers and a host of other stalls. There are always plenty of people enjoying a morning out with their kids or dogs.

This new market opened 21Jun14 and thousands turned up for the grand opening. We arrived at 10am…read morehad a good look around but many stalls were already out of stock and the huge crowds made it difficult to get close to many stalls. We stopped for breakfast at Cove Cafe and had a delicious breakfast of poached eggs but a 35min wait for our 2 coffees was ridiculous. Next time I would just go to one of the stalls for coffee as Cove did not cope well with the increased demand. There are a few things that could be improved (narrow walkways, lack of stock on many stalls, cramped stalls), and the organisers seem to be receptive to feedback on social media. As a local I will definitely be back but may give it a couple of weeks to see if the crowds die down.

Brisbane really likes its farmer's markets. I'm not averse to this trend, but Carseldine (which I…read moredo not live near but ended up at by happenstance) was a bit far for me. The setting is quieter and has more space than some of the more urban markets, but the selection, while worthwhile, is no better than any of the others. While I found things to eat, it also didn't quite have the great spread of vegetarian options I have become accustomed to elsewhere. I'm more about the prepared food vendors, but I wasn't especially impressed with their actual vegetables, nor the other crafts. Transit-wise, it's walkable from the train stop nearby and there is a bus that runs by. If you're in the neighborhood, I'd check it out, but no reason to travel any great distance to get here.

The Jan Powers Farmers Markets at Stones Corner run every 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month…read more The markets take over the whole street, which is pedestrian only. Although all the stalls have umbrellas and marquees, on a hot sunny day there's quite a lot of direct sun and it can get pretty hot. The preview reviewer got the times wrong - they run from 6am to noon. I'm glad to see a good use for the Stone's Corner area, which was previously inhabited by a few odd cafes, discount outlets and a huge amount of empty shops. These markets are pretty much like all Jan Powers Farmers Markets - if you've been to any of the other ones, you'll recognise most of the stalls. The quality of food sellers, and fresh produce is pretty high and lots of great deli products - the Eumundi Smokehouse makes amazing chicken chorizo sausages!

I'm a fan of Jan Powers Farmers Markets and I love that there are more and more of them around…read moreBrisbane. As Rhiannon says, the suppliers don't tend to change that much but I'm OK with that as long as I can get fresh, locally made goats cheese and snack on a kransky or 3. You pay a bit of a premium for some things, however taste and quality is extremely apparent in food so if you want a really special meal pay a little bit more. Also, I always manage to find a chinese style stall at the back with cheaper veg so I can still fulfil my bargain hunter instinct.

A great market that sprung up in the past couple of years offering a more convenient option for…read morepeople north of the river than the West End markets. It has all the market staples with food dominating, but clothes, home wares, kitchenware also featuring. The food stalls include produce from quite a few local growers including some organic ones, so you know the freshness is guaranteed. One thing that they do perhaps a little better than West End is live music. The organisers arrange a different group each week, with genres including from Jazz and Latin, so you aren't subject to the vicissitudes of the busker. The markets go until about 1pm but it's best to arrive early. Which means you will be there for your first weekend coffee. There are a few stalls doing good quality espresso, and my favourite is Bunker Coffee, who also have a small outlet in Milton.

Once upon a time Saturday mornings were for sleeping in waking up to discover half the day had…read moreslipped away. They were for watching Rage while eating your cereal. Yet somewhere along the time-space continuum my Saturday mornings took a turn towards domesticity and became more about getting up early and getting sh*t done including visiting the markets for fresh fruit and veg. The Village Markets at Kelvin Grove are my preferred market destination. Not because they have the best range of produce (it's good and ample but there are better around) but because even when in peak hour you still feel like you have space to move as you walk up and down the walkway. Other more notorious markets in Brisbane have downsized leaving it near impossible to pass through the walkways without feeling like you're the newest sardine in the tin. Ney, Saturday morning market visits are for leisurely strolls up and down looking at each stall, coffee in hand (preferable from Rooster - formerly Bunker Stand). Once caffeinated take your pick from fresh produce, hand made yoghurts, a bunch of flowers for your beloved or for yourself.

So, apparently in Australia, farmer's markets are not more expensive than grocery stores. There are…read morea lot of diverse vegetables to find here. It's a large, snaky space, with many things other than vegetables, including cooked food vendors, merchants of other ilks, and various forms of massage. List not exhaustive. I've had little trouble finding my go-to vegetables at better prices than Coles. The location isn't perfect. It doesn't drain well, and rain comes often in Brisbane. Parking is limited, and only one meaningful bus route goes by. Also, everyone else is right that you want to think about getting in early, which may or may not be easy to do on a Saturday morning depending on your disposition. But by all means, if you can get here, you'll find something good.

Where else can you get your eyebrows threaded, a shiatsu massage, handmade soaps, a new throw…read moreblanket for your bed, some funky jewelry, a live music concert, and a freshly squeezed mint limeaid, curry puff, and hungarian donut while shopping for fresh fruits and veggies for less than $100 before 9am? Speechless? Yeah, that's how I felt my first time, too. Get there early on Saturdays and bring more cash than you think you'll need- the cravability factor is high here and if you don't buy it when you see it the first time, you may not get a second chance because the scarcity factor is high as well. I took a ton of photos to give you an idea of what you'll find- check 'em out!