Mission Bay Art & Craft Market
Happy Labor Day! Labor Day in New Zealand falls on the fourth Monday in October as is to commemorate the eight hour work day and was made into law in 1899. (Side note - originally it was the third Wednesday, but it was changed to the fourth Monday in 1910 because who doesn’t like a long weekend?) Many people have the day off of work, schools are closed, and restaurants generally charge a 10% surcharge for being open on public holidays. It is also a way to celebrate warmer weather becoming more common than not.
For the second year in a row, we wandered down to the Mission Bay Art & Craft Market. This is a bustling event filled with local vendors and artisans hawking their wears. Stalls include:
Clothing (primarily women’s and children’s)
Jewellery
Pottery
Pet accessories
Take home food items (honey, smoked meats, fresh breads, fudge, etc.)
Carved wooden items
Crafty knick-knacks (dream catchers, rain catchers, terrariums)
Paintings and prints
There were some interesting one-off stalls as well, like the fortune tellers (30 minutes for $40) and our favorite French circus man and balloon twister, Le Cirque de JP who was featuring balloon octopi this time.
There are a number of food stalls to choose from, including Malaysian food, chorizo, teramaki, and a few others. Unfortunately, the lines were extremely long this year, and the cooks were clearly overwhelmed by the numbers. The truth is: it was too busy to really enjoy by the time we arrived a little before noon. The event was from 10-4, and I think to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to have time to look at the stalls without feeling claustrophobic or getting stepped on, it is important to arrive at 10. Alternatively, we should’ve brought the kids’ swimsuits so they could cool down and splash in either the Mission Bay fountain - which kids do regularly, but I absolutely question the hygiene behind this practice - or in the ocean.
Two other words of advice about attending this event. First, parking is extremely limited. Plan on parking for away or take an Uber. The traffic on Tamaki Drive was nearly at a standstill, so plan on walking no matter what mode of transportation you take to get to the Mission Bay Reserve. Secondly, though it is technically a dog-friendly event, there were really too many people for the dogs to feel safe. I saw quite a few small dogs wrapped up in their owner’s arms, away from all of the feet.
Despite the drawbacks of the Mission Bay Art & Craft Market, it really is a fun event with lots of cute items that could make perfect Christmas gifts. In addition to Labor Day, the same market pops up on Auckland Anniversary Day in late January or early February (it’s the Monday closest to January 29). Let me know if you plan on attending any future markets!
