Activities guide
Burleigh Markets: Saturday, Sunday and Summer Dates
By the ParadiseGrove editorial team · Last checked 7 November 2026 · Last updated 7 November 2026
For breakfast and picnic supplies, make Saturday’s school market your first stop. For handmade gifts and a browse beside the beach, save the last Sunday of the month. They are different markets in different places, and neither is the former Village Markets. A summer visit needs one more distinction: the beachfront organiser publishes a monthly calendar, while the Saturday market’s Christmas and New Year exceptions still need confirmation.
Two markets, two different mornings
| Market | Published schedule | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| Burleigh Market | Saturdays, 7am–noon | Burleigh Heads State School; Lower Gold Coast Highway entry |
| The Coastal Markets, Burleigh Heads | Last Sunday each month, 8am–2pm | Justins Park, off The Esplanade, between First and Third Avenues |
Both advertise free visitor entry. The Saturday organiser’s location page gives the school entrance and parking; for Sunday, use the beachfront market and calendar. Put the actual location into your map: arriving at the school on a beachfront Sunday will not bring you to the stalls.
The beachfront calendar: November to January
The organiser’s calendar, read on 7 November 2026, lists Sunday 29 November 2026, Sunday 27 December 2026 and Sunday 31 January 2027. All use the published 8am–2pm hours. November and January have five Sundays, so a fourth-Sunday shortcut would put you a week early.
Keep the organiser’s calendar handy as your visit approaches: holiday trading can change, and its website links social accounts for updates. For the school market, we could not confirm special arrangements for Saturday 26 December or Saturday 2 January: its linked Facebook page was unavailable when checked. If those are your only dates, confirm with the organiser before making the trip.
Saturday: breakfast, then something for the apartment
The Burleigh Farmers Market brings together produce, meat, fish, deli food, flowers and baked treats. For a self-catering stay, this is the more useful first-weekend stop: have breakfast, buy something for lunch and take chilled purchases back before heading to the beach. About an hour is a sensible browsing allowance, longer if breakfast becomes the morning’s main event.
The organiser also advertises pre-loved rack sales on the last Saturday of each month. That gives a clothing browse a place alongside the food shopping, although holiday changes still need checking. Vehicle access is from Lower Gold Coast Highway, with advertised free parking on the oval and surrounds; follow the market’s arrival directions. Market updates are linked here for when the organiser’s feed is available.
Sunday: browse first, leave lunch unhurried
The beachfront stalls lean towards handmade art, clothing, jewellery, gifts and homewares. This is our pick for a souvenir browse rather than a weekly grocery shop. Allow one to two hours if you enjoy looking closely, then leave the rest of the morning for the foreshore.
After the stalls, continue the outing with James Street’s boutiques and coffee stops, or make lunch the next booking. Our James Street meal plan explains the nearby choices by day and meal. A shorter browse also fits the free Burleigh half-day; buying something is optional.
12 December: art gifts beyond the regular stalls
If you would rather look for a print or a ceramic piece, Mint Art House’s Christmas Art Market and open day is listed for Saturday 12 December 2026, noon–4pm, at 87 West Burleigh Road. Entry is free. The art-house collective is opening its studios and gallery, with its neighbours The Craft Parlour and Dirty Hands studios involved.
This is a separate afternoon outing, not an extra date for either regular market. Prints, cards, ceramics, textiles and original artworks are advertised. A morning at the school market and an afternoon here could work if you particularly enjoy browsing; there is no need to fill both halves of the day just because they share a date.
And The Village Markets?
Must Do Gold Coast’s update of 19 January 2026 reports that The Village Market at Burleigh Heads has closed. The same page retains its older first-and-third-Sunday description below that notice, which makes it easy to misread. Do not use that former timetable for a current outing.
The Saturday school market and last-Sunday beachfront market above are separate events. Any future Village Markets pop-up would need its own current announcement, date and address.
Keep the morning flexible
Bring a reusable bag, sun protection and water, with a little cash as well as a card for individual stallholders. Both organisers describe all-weather trading, but that is not a reason to travel through dangerous weather. Read current event updates before leaving; if conditions are unsuitable, postpone the outdoor browse or use our indoor outing comparison.
The school oval and foreshore are different settings. If a step-free route, accessible toilet or particular drop-off is essential, ask the relevant organiser about that exact location; a parking claim or a beach photograph does not establish access. On an ordinary non-market day, James Street still gives the morning a useful shape: coffee, a few shops and time by the coast.