About

The Bellingen Community Markets (BCM), an activity of the Bellingen Shire Resident’s Association (BSRA). Originally conceived to display and sell local, lovingly grown produce and unique arts and craft work prevalent about the Shire of Bellingen, it found its spiritual home and its feet when we established BCM at Bellingen Park in 1980. The score of stalls of those early Markets has grown to average 250 stalls every third Saturday of the month.

The funds raised by the BCM are returned to the community via contributions to the Shire’s various community service groups, educational, sporting and arts organisations, and others by BSRA. The BCM employs a manager for 75 hours per month and a dozen staff for the Market day. Staff is trained at the Markets expense in Traffic Control (OH&S) & Senior 1st Aid and fully inducted into the operational and safety procedures required insuring the safe and efficient running of BCM.

Apart from community contributions and employment & training opportunities we seek to engage our community in the stewardship of the event and its environment by designating a community organisation as the Community Group of the Month. They assist Staff with early setup and afternoon cleanup and are given access to a free site and the coin bucket collection which reaps surprising and positive outcomes toward their brigades, clubs or P&C’s treasury.

Improvements to the ‘Market’ (Bellingen) Park are another aspect of the work undertaken by BCM in partnership with the other stakeholders involved Bellingen Shire Council, Bellingen Valley & Dorrigo Rugby League Football Club - Pathways, Environmental Regeneration projects, Entertainment Stage, seating, and the Waste Management Recycling System initiative, and more ongoing.

The raison d’etre of BCM to provide benefit to the Bellingen Shire Community is evident. Thousands now attend, providing a flow on benefit to local business, accommodation houses and our local tourism industry. BCM exists now as Markets did in ancient times - a cultural, social, and commercial gathering place where locals mix with travellers from distant places, delicious food and beverage is enjoyed in the company of family and friends (old & new), music is played and appreciated and the essentials and some non-essentials are bought and sold.

We hope you will enjoy your time with us and will agree

The Bellingen Community Markets…not just a marketplace but a great place to be.