THE Wednesday market in Main Street, Mornington has drawn hundreds of visitors every week for close to 40 years but, like many businesses since COVID-19, it is feeling the pinch of post‐pandemic consumer habits. Organisers hope all that is about to change, with a renewed push to make the market great again and entice consumers back to Victoria’s longest‐running street market.
Mornington Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Alex Levy said the market had seen a change of faces in recent years, with some traders retiring or simply moving on, and consumers being more cautious with their cash. From its peak of around 90 stalls, the market now has less than half that number. Levy said that was something organisers hoped to turn around.
“We are looking for new stallholders to expand our variety, but we also need people to support markets,” she said.
“We are aware that shopping habits have changed, but we know that the market gives people a reason to come to Mornington and experience this beautiful community.
“We are an outside market in a lovely waterside location offering a great selection of homemade and home-grown items … and it’s a great place to get your berries when they are in season. “The quality and variety of what we have, and the buskers that add to the atmosphere are what make it special.” In its heyday, market visitors flooded Main Street and filled the restaurants and cafes, and there was a distinctly friendly holiday aura. Levy says that enticing vibe still exists, despite consumers being slow to return to their old spending habits. The market is inviting applications from any stallholders who make their products or grow their own produce. “We’d love to see some cheeses and chutneys, or kids’ clothes and baby’s wear,” she said.
New research from the University of South Australia reveals that attending local events strengthens neighbourhood bonds and can have a greater impact on fostering a sense of place than length of residency and home ownership. More than 400 households were interviewed for the research, which looked at how farmers markets to food festivals, art exhibitions, how‐to workshops and community events were often the lifeblood of thriving neighbourhoods.
People who frequently attended local events or participated as volunteers, organisers or exhibitors, were found to have a stronger sense of place, meaning their neighbourhood was important to them and they felt connected to the area.
First published in the Mornington News – 11th June 2024
