Needed to update this farmers market to 5 stars as I revisited recently and reviewed my own review…read more- all of what I previously stated still stands true. So, why then the extra star? - The surrounds are very, very beautiful. making for an uplifting environment (and would be great for artists - note to self, take the camera next tme!!), particularly since it is nearing Spring. Plus the vendors are consistantly very friendly and chatty, giving useful hints and recommendations, they seem genuine. This recent visit I tried some rice wrapped in a banana leaf with banana and coconut cream/milk from a lady from Laos; it was delicious! Thankyou lady from Laos... and for you pre-made dried spice and herb pack and sesame balls I bought too:) Yummo! Tip: Free parking as far as we are aware, never been instructed to pay yet whilst onsite.

Saturday mornings begin with an early dog walk followed by a trip to the farmers market at Oratia…read more It's here I pick up a cup of coffee, inevitably meet up with heaps of friends, and best of all purchase the most yummy ingredients for the coming week. Stall holders are well representative of the bounty our region offers, organic breads, organic butchers, fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, olive oils and preserves. And there are plenty of yummy treats to taste whilst here because shopping for all of this delicious fresh food makes you hungry. If we are early enough there is street parking, or you can park on the facility for a tiny fee. Next door is Artisan Wines and their gorgeous restaurant.

The idea of having a Farmers' Market in the middle of a suburban area is still something I need to…read moreget used to, but it does allow green fingered souls to share their love with others. I attended my first Grey Lynn Farmers' Market on Sunday, and I must say - I wasn't too impressed. Compared to the one in Mairangi Bay, this one was quite bland. I did see the cutest little pumpkins, and some other knickknacks of interest, but mostly just a boring old market. Considering it is located on one of the coolest streets in Auckland, you would expect so much more. To be fair, I will give it another try next time, maybe I just arrived at a bad time. For me, a farmers market should have fresh veggies, fruit and home made products, and I appreciate a touch of flair. Maybe that was what was missing for me.

For the last couple of years I've had a part time job in Ponsonby and I work every Sunday. Since I…read morelive in Mt Albert, the easiest and fastest route to work is to cut through Grey Lynn. This means that every week I drive past the Grey Lynn Farmers Market. After months of meaning to stop but afraid of being late to work, I finally got my shit together and left home early so I could have a look around the market before work. I'm glad I did. Now I don't have to spend any time wondering what I am missing out on. The Grey Lynn Farmers Market is held on Sundays from 9-12:30pm at the Grey Lynn Community Centre on Richmond Road, and is a great place to pick up fresh, organic, locally grown produce, fresh fish, and learn more about clean, sustainable living. I put my mother on to them and she now regularly frequents these markets, choosing to buy our fruit, dairy, veges and eggs from stall holders rather than the capitalist profit driven supermarkets :) Grey Lynn is known around Auckland as being a particularly tight-knit community with a great spirit, and it is events such as these markets which are entirely organised and run by locals themselves, that emphasises this community spirit. Bonus: The Market regularly hosts workshops that focus on gardening, preserving and other such home and lifestyle topics.

The Grey Lynn Festival is a wonderful display of art, music, food, and products that reflect our…read moremulti cultural society here in Auckland. Held annually towards the end of November, I am always eager to visit the festival, listen to some fantastic local music, eat exotic ethnic delights, and shop to my heart's content at the many clothes, and arty craft stalls. The crowds seem to get larger every year, last year 2012 the Grey Lynn Festival was sadly cancelled due to terrible weather. I have in the past purchased neat hand crafted woollen pillows for the love seat at home, and natural fibre baby clothing made by Nature Baby. There is always enough space to throw a blanket down and enjoy the sun and awesome music. This festival has a vibe set at peace and unity and keeps the crowd sweet as bro.

Bring a blanket, bring a brolly. Buy an artwork and a folly. Have some laughs, hear some songs,…read more'Tis the place to get along. A good afternoon with a community feel.

Newly opened farmers market, located just behind the zoo…read more Medium size market, has a limited number of food stands. You get some of the usual fruit/vege, bakery, butcher, and cheese stands like you see in other markets. There are also a few more unique stalls, including an antique dealer and a shoemaker. The coffee shop based in a container is also unique. There are also a number of food trucks, serving Mexican food, BBQ, and contemporary style food. A children friendly place. Has a play area by the entrance. Not huge amount of traffic going through but the parking is at the entrance. Just need to watch out where the little ones go. Worth checking out for a quick snack if you plan to go to MOTAT or the zoo on a Saturaday.

Three stars means I liked it, probably would have given it four on a normal day, but due to…read moreconstruction the market is currently in an alternate space and seemed a little cramped and awkward. Parking was an issue. Great variety of vendors. My first day in NZ (flew in overnight) and when I passed the donut vendor, she was taking pictures of her wares and I remarked, what a good idea, they're lovely and I took a picture too, and slavered over them a bit more, but thought about the calories and started to move on, and an old man called me out saying you shouldn't take a picture unless you're going to buy something. I wasn't sure how to respond, but the vendor was super nice and said no worries. So, the picture is attached here to make you salivate too! :-)

Every Saturday, Parnell hosts their own Farmers Market just behind the Parnell library with fresh,…read moreorganic fruit, veges, deli good, bakery things, fish etc from 8am till noon- rain or shine. Not very well known but well worth a stop in- winning The Auckland's Best Inner City Market for Foodies (Denizen, Nov 14). Very cool New York Times rave also!

It has been a good six months since I have paid these markets a visit, so I excitedly grabbed a…read morecouple of green bags and off I went; I bustled my way through, and with, the hordes of people with their prams, trolleys and dogs in tow. The cheap clothing drew my attention but I was aiming for produce only, so kept my blinkers on. I picked up some herbs for 99c each, handfuls of winter vegies for some hearty soup making and ample fruit to sweeten us up! I couldn't pass up the Asian sweet treat of glutinous rice rolled in sesame seeds, 3 large ball in a packet for $3.50, that will be morning tea taken care of! Hmmm...what else do I want?...free range eggs!...up and down all the open market isles, anyone? Free range eggs, anyone? - Nope, not you two shifty looking fella's, I bought "free range eggs" from you before and they were watery-pale-weird-things that barely resembled food... ok, so no eggs, but bags of other yummy stuff!

It started decades ago, way back in the 70s and is still going strong. I'm up early on a Sunday…read moremorning to hit the Avondale Markets. This is a cool place to come for a bargain and is the ultimate Auckland market representing our city's multi cultural flavor. I love the fresh veggies and come away with bags of seasonal produce with loads of Asian and other ethnic fruits and vegetables. The racecourse carpark comes alive from 6am with stall holders and market goers. I'm a once-in-a-whiler but could imagine lots of people come here every week to shop. Your cash goes a long way here. There is no end to the stalls on offer from tshirts to jewellery, toys to tools. Such a bargain! And there are of course food stalls galore.

Voted Auckland's best food market by a local newspaper, La Cigale French Market is held every…read moreSaturday from 8 AM to 1:30 PM and Sunday from 9 AM to 1:30 PM. This market is inspired by the wonderful food markets found in France. This market didn't exist when I lived in New Zealand in 2003, but I figured it would be an eye-opening experience to compare and contrast the Otara Polynesian Market. This market is just a 20-minute drive from the Otara Market, but will feel worlds away with its much pricier food options, perfectly primped dogs, live jazz performances and wine bars. If you're into high-end experiences, this will be your jam.

Awww how I wish we had something like this in Hawaii. ALL the foods looked great. The smoked salmon…read morewas by FAR the best I've had. So delicious, wish we had bought more! But it was our last night in Auckland. Some of the extras actually made the journey with us to Queenstown. Enough vendors to get your fill on the spot as well as to go. A nice assortment of foods that you still need to prepare, sides, breads, smoothies, etc. Worth a visit as a local or a tourist!

This is a very small street market, as in 1 block long…read more There are two fresh produce stands, a number of stalls selling prepared foods for immediate consumption (or take home), and the requisite coffee/bread/pastry vendor. Quality of the produce was fine, and prices were very good (about 15-20% less than at Matakana).

Over the last couple of years these markets have drastically improved due to the larger number of…read morevendors and therefore range of food and produce available. The ethnic diversity of food here is also great, everything from pancakes to octopus balls. There is an Argentinian man who sells fantastic food, his pita bread are out of this world. He gets up at 5am in the morning to make them. Maybe it is the love he puts into making the bread or the wood fire oven, but they taste fantastic. All his food is vegetarian and most is also vegan. You feel good about buying food from here because it is fresh, preservative free and to varying degrees good for you. Pukeko bakery has freshly baked artisan breads and Philippes brings the pastries. The bagels are good too, plus you can get two bags for $6 which is cheap. There are fresh fruits and vegetables too and the stall that makes fresh juice is pretty good, you can smell the wheatgrass from a mile away. Kokako also have a coffee cart so you can get a decent coffee at the market to go with your breakfast and then sit and enjoy it on the lawn or on the benches within The Pavilions. My only complaint would be the live entertainment, give it a miss I say.

I love the Ttirangi markets, and have been going for years. It gives the village such a community…read morefeeling, and just adds so much to its friendly and relaxed vibe. The markets are made up of many stalls set up by the community hall in the village, set up both outside and inside. There are crafts stalls, food stalls and a lot of artists stalls, and clothing, so there is a lot to see. And the kids love it too, there is just so much to do, like make your own candles for example. There is also live music, singers and that sort of thing. And because you can eat there and get coffee, it really feels like a neat cafe spot too. Sit out in the sun and marvel at the treasures you just bought while listening to the live band play whilst enjoying your fresh cappuccino. Bliss!

To Market to market we go! - no fat pig here though, however come and get some plants, some great…read morelocal produce, some great coffee, some sheepskin products for winter, some gorgeous clothes, new and second hand, some big fat embroidery meditation cushions, some artisan bread, some felt crafts for children and adults, some jewellery and much much more! - But! - it is only held the last Sunday of the month, except for December (Sunday, second week due to Christmas). Starting at 10 am, finishing at 2 pm. They can be found on South Titirangi Road, in Titirangi in the war memorial hall and car park. Sometimes you may need to park down the road and walk a bit up the hill, good exercise though, and enjoyable as it is in such a pretty suburb, just like Tassie in some ways. The market is like a permanent fundraiser for the local Steiner school, more information about how it all works can be found on their website www.titirangisteinerschool.nz or by phoning Tanya on (09) 814 1177. I personally like to shop there for all the arts and crafts, they have some really great stuff to give as gifts. The coffee shops nearby on the main street up the hill are pretty much always packed to the rafters but well worth popping into for a bite and drink too, hence the reason they are so busy!