27 November 2013

Hastings Night Market a roaring success

The Hastings City Night Market has taken off with a roaring success. Over the first three weeks more than 6,000 people have made their way through the markets on Thursday nights, making the most of the local food, artisan craft, fresh produce and live entertainment on hand.

Every week there’s a great mix of vendors and entertainers setting up their stalls and performance spaces for eager shoppers. The sights, sounds and smells of the market create a great atmosphere. Live music flows through the stalls, there’s beautifully designed art, craft and fashion items, and the diverse range of food is sure to keep even the pickiest of eaters happy.

Market organiser and Hastings City Business Association Manager, Susan McDade is thrilled with the success of the markets. “We’ve had such good feedback from the public, stall holders and the local retailers. Everyone is commenting that the city has such a good feel to it on market night, and that it provides a fun and safe night out for the whole family,” she says.

With the high volume of visitors seen over the past few weeks, the popularity of the market has exceeded expectations of many of the vendors. Brendocs Smokehouse owners Brendon Lovell and Dawn O’Dea have a stall at the markets each week and are impressed with how well it’s doing. They’re preparing 120kgs of pork ribs and 50kg of lamb shanks for the market each week, more than triple the amount of stock they had on the first night, in order to keep up with customer demand.

“We initially based our stock preparation on the numbers seen at other markets in the area, but we had a solid queue of customers from 5pm each night – we sold out in an hour and a half on the first week, but now we’ve got it sorted so there’s enough to go around. It’s great for the business, and more people are coming into the shop during the week too,” says O’Dea.

Retailers are making the most of the crowds in the CBD with many remaining open and some even setting up stands outside their shops with night market specials on display for the late night shoppers.

With Christmas approaching fast, the night markets and late night shopping make Hastings the perfect destination for all your shopping needs. Entry to the markets is free, parking is free after 5pm, and there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

ENDS

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