There are places you visit. And then there are places you wander. Bathurst is definitely a wandering kind of place.

You might arrive looking for fresh vegetables and homemade goodies at the Sunday market… and leave three hours later with an antique, a piece of local art, something handmade, a second-hand treasure and a completely different appreciation for this quirky little historic village.

Because in Bathurst, shopping isn’t just shopping.

Markets, antiques, art, history, crafts — and the joy of finding something you weren’t looking for

🌱 Start your Sunday at the Farmers Market

Every Sunday morning, Bathurst wakes up with the Bathurst Farmers Market.

Bathurst Farmer’s Market

Fresh produce, homemade goods, handmade creations, coffee and plenty of local characters make this a great place to start exploring.

The market runs every Sunday morning at 237 Kowie Road, from around 9am to midday.

Come hungry.

Come curious.

And leave a little space in the car.

Because you never know what you’re going to find.

🧺 Then come back for the big monthly treasure hunt

If you really enjoy rummaging through stalls, hunting for bargains and discovering things with a story…

mark the last Saturday of every month on your calendar.

BATHURST FOOD & FLEA MARKET

📅 Saturday, 26 September 2026
⏰ 9am – 2pm
📍 Village Green, Bathurst

The Bathurst Food & Flea Market is held on the last Saturday of every month, bringing together food, finds, crafts, curiosities and the kind of random treasures that make flea markets so much fun.

And that’s when Bathurst really becomes a thrifter’s playground.

🔎 Go hunting for the unexpected

One of the great things about Bathurst is that you don’t have to stop when the market does.

Take a slow walk around the village.

Look through the shops.

Follow the signs.

Peek into galleries.

Browse the antiques.

Talk to the people behind the counters.

You might discover something that isn’t available anywhere else.

At Penny Whistle Antiques, for example, you’re stepping into the world of old things with new stories.

And for art and handmade work, The Workshop Art and Craft Gallery, The Corner Gallery and Stowe & so., Richard Pullen Pottery and Bathurst Crafts are just some of the places worth exploring.

This is where the fun of Bathurst really starts.

You don’t necessarily come here knowing what you’re going to buy.

You come to see what you discover.

🎨 Art is hiding everywhere

Bathurst has long attracted artists, makers and people who would rather create something themselves than buy something mass-produced.

You’ll find studios, galleries, crafts and handmade pieces dotted around the village.

Look for something made locally.

Something slightly strange.

Something beautiful.

Something you can’t quite explain why you like.

Because that’s the best kind of souvenir.

Not something that says:

“I went to Bathurst.”

Something that makes you say:

“I found this in Bathurst.”

🏛️ And then there’s the history…

Of course, Bathurst isn’t just about shopping.

You’re wandering through one of South Africa’s historic settler villages.

So between browsing the stalls and hunting for antiques, take time to look around.

Visit the Toposcope, where bronze plaques commemorate the 1820 Settler parties and their ships, with the layout pointing towards their original settlement locations.

Visit St John’s Anglican Church, one of Bathurst’s remarkable historic landmarks.

Look out for the Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1832.

Explore the Bathurst Agricultural Museum, with its huge collection of historic agricultural machinery and artefacts.

And don’t forget the Pig & Whistle, the historic inn dating to 1831 and recognised as a national monument.

Suddenly your shopping trip has become a history tour.

🚜 Old stuff. Good stuff.

There’s something particularly satisfying about finding an old object and wondering:

Who owned this?

Where did it come from?

What was it used for?

Why did somebody keep it for 50 years?

That’s the magic of thrifting.

You’re not just buying second-hand.

You’re rescuing stories.

And Bathurst is a particularly good place to do it.

Old farming equipment.

Vintage household pieces.

Books.

Furniture.

Art.

Crafts.

Collectables.

Clothing.

Curiosities.

Things you never knew existed.

Things you definitely don’t need.

And things you suddenly realise you absolutely cannot live without.

☕ Make a day of it

The secret to Bathurst is simple:

Don’t rush.

Come for the market.

Have coffee.

Browse the stalls.

Take a walk.

Look at the old buildings.

Visit a gallery.

Go antiquing.

Find lunch.

Take photographs.

Chat to someone.

Buy something made locally.

Then head out of town and take in the countryside.

And if you still haven’t had enough, go looking for the Big Pineapple — the enormous 16.7-metre landmark celebrating the area’s pineapple-growing history.