Marcoola Market- Mmm mmm

Visited October, 2024

Friday night

As the moon rises over the ocean and the sky fades from blue to yellow, to orange, pink and purple, families sit on picnic blankets and camp chairs dotted around Felix Pary Park, Marcoola.

Children play in the playground under the flood lights - live music drifts in the air alongside the smell of street food cooking - wafting from the Sunshine Coast’s hidden gem, the Twilight Food Market. The corner of Lorraine Street comes to life at 4pm, as the string lights turn on and families, couples and friends make their way to the beach side for a casual dinner and/or dessert.

Food trucks and food stands line the gravelled lot, offering an intimate array of international street foods, like Japanese pancakes, German sausages, spring rolls, and donuts. A few seats and tables run up centre, nearby a make-do stage, where a young female artist sings smooth jazz, smiling and interacting with the patrons as they manoeuvre between then food vans and crowd, deciding what to tantalise the tastebuds with.

Planes fly over periodically, thrilling plane enthusiasts young and old. The Sunshine Coast Air Port is just a stone’s throw away. The planes fly so low, it feels like you could reach up and tickle their underbellies. Entry is free. Food costs between $6 and $30. The nearby quaint Marcoola corner store is open for any last-minute purchases (or forgotten beverages), and is reminiscent of times gone by, an old-fashioned milk bar/ fish and chippo. Dive into these delicious donuts($6 each) for dessert, delivered with a smile and appreciation from the vendors of the tiny twilight market, located in Marcoola.

Saturday Morning

Taking in the weekly fruit and vegetable shop and artisan bread from the Marcoola Farmers Market is a relaxing way to spend the often dreaded shopping chore on a Saturday morning.

With a coffee in hand purchased from the coffee van, people stroll through market lot with their cane shopping baskets and string bags. Some are barefoot sporting swimsuits and have come straight from the surf. The Marcoola Market is wheelchair, pram and pet friendly. Curb-side parking close to the market can prove difficult at peak times, especially with little ones, however there are wide and accessible footpaths stretching alongside the coastline, making a healthy walk or bike ride a wonderful way to arrive, and provides a picturesque walk to burn off extra energy that may have been indulged upon while visiting the market.

Marcoola Markets Twilight Market Friday 4pm – 8pm Saturday Farmers Market 8am – 12pm 10 Lorraine Avenue, Marcoola, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.