By Parker McKenzie
Struggling with Christmas gift ideas or worried your online shopping won’t arrive in time?
After months of being unable to run because of lockdowns and Covid restrictions, the Cockatoo Country Market is back for a special Christmas edition.
The Christmas Market on Saturday 4 December will feature stalls showcasing local wares that will make for the perfect Christmas gift.
Organiser Rachelle Mechielsen said interest has been high since announcing a December return for the first in-person market.
“Our last physical market was in July,” she said.
“We’ve fully booked for store-holders, which is unusual.”
Hosted at the Alma Treloar Reserve, the market features stalls ranging from knitted clothing, flavour infused olive oil, handmaid timber display trays, gingerbread houses and more.
Mrs Mechielsen said the market was an opportunity for people in Cockatoo and the surrounding areas to reconnect with their community.
“It’s really about connecting people, it’s fantastic that we can all come together, meet face to face and reconnect,”
“Smaller micro-businesses have the opportunity to come and reinvigorate their businesses.”
Entertainment for children will be present along with food stall and trucks.
There will also be a giving tree, where people can leave new and unwrapped gifts to help support local families in need over the Christmas period.
Mrs Mechielsen said because of “holidays and hangovers” the market doesn’t run in January.
“This is our big end of year event and we won’t be back until February,” she said.
“We will have our 8th birthday Twilight market in March to look forward to.”
The market will run the first Saturday of every month throughout 2022 starting in February.
The hours of the Cockatoo Christmas Market have been extended to spread out the crowd of attendees throughout the day and provide a Covid safe environment.
The market is held at 77 Pakenham Road, Cockatoo and will run from 8.30am to 3pm.
