Cromwell's Farmers & Craft Markets
Cromwell Farmers & Craft Market
Looking for a wee day trip out of Queenstown this weekend? Then consider the pleasant journey through the Kawarau Gorge, following the rapid rivers of the Kawarau River through Gibbston Valley’s wine region, past Roaring Meg and the Goldfields Mining Centre, past the fruit markets and on to Cromwell and into the Cromwell Heritage Precinct for a great morning wandering around the stalls of the Farmers & Craft Markets.
Local Central Otago producers sell fresh produce from their gardens to their market stalls, local artisan craft people share their artistic talents with us, and local entertainers will encompass you in a wonderful bubble of relaxation and contentment! Great live music, great coffee and delicious takeaway fare set on the shores of Lake Dunstan.
The re-created historic main street a visual reminder of ‘how it used to be’ during the gold era of 1860-1900. When the hydro dam at Clyde was created it buried Cromwell’s main street underwater when Lake Dunstan was formed. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that a group of local residents decided to fight to save the history of Cromwell, preserve some of the still-standing buildings and bring a touch of the gold mining back to the present, forming the Heritage Precinct which hosts the markets today!
Details:
When: Every Sunday 9 am to 1 pm. Labour Weekend until Easter.
Getting There: From Spinnaker Bay Apartments, turn right onto SH6a and don’t deviate until you get to Cromwell! It’s that easy! Once you get there, just follow your nose (or the well-posted signs) or stop and ask a friendly local!
Extend the Day Trip
If you have a day to go exploring, then stop for a wine at what are the increasingly popular and world-class wine regions of Bannockburn and Bendigo, save yourself for a fresh fruit ice-cream from the fruit stalls just outside of Cromwell on the way back, pop into the Goldfields Mining Centre for a touch of local history and culture and then carefully drive back, possibly stopping in at any one of the many wineries in Gibbston Valley! A great day out!
