Olive Tree Market opens at Civic Park this Saturday

Newcastle's weekend market scene gets a new addition this morning. The Olive Tree Market opens at Civic Park from 9am to 2pm, and it's positioning itself as the city's premier art and design market rather than a casual produce haul. The line-up is the main draw: each month it brings together over 100 of the best emerging and established artists, designers, makers, gourmet food producers and street food vendors, with some counts pushing that number past 130. It's the kind of place you go to browse rather than run in and out of.

What you'll find on the tables is a good spread of local craft. There's boutique gin made here, hand-blended organic teas, glazed ceramics, flora and fauna illustrations, slow fashion, swimwear, hand-poured candles and artisan jewellery worked from recycled metals. It's a strong mix for anyone after a gift that isn't off a supermarket shelf. The food side holds its own too, with live music and a run of food trucks serving everything from fresh coffee and pancakes to wood-fired pizza and pho, so you can easily make a morning of it.

It's worth knowing the rhythm before you plan your next visit. The Olive Tree Market typically lands on the first Saturday of each month at Civic Park, right in the heart of Newcastle, and it takes a break in January. Come November and December, it steps up to the first and third Saturdays for its Christmas Markets, which is when the gift-hunting really comes into its own. The market has been around since 2008 and has supported more than 800 artists, designers, makers and small businesses across more than 115 market days, so it's not a fly-by-night operation.

A few practical notes will save you a headache on the day. Most stallholders take EFTPOS and cash, but some of the emerging creatives are cash only, so it's worth carrying a bit. If you run dry, the nearest ATM is a two-minute walk away at 365 Hunter Street. The market is set up to be accessible, with family-friendly areas, pet-friendly zones and public toilets on site, plus a permanent amenities block in the centre of the park and two portable toilets beside the female amenities. Well-socialised dogs that like people and other dogs are welcome on lead.

Getting there is easy. The light rail drops you at the Civic stop, a short walk through Wheeler Place, and the closest car park is First Parking on Argyle Street, Civic, with street parking around the area as well. The organisers lean towards walking, cycling or public transport, which suits the location perfectly. Civic Park itself is the green heart of the inner city, tucked between Newcastle City Hall, the Newcastle Art Gallery and the Newcastle Regional Library, with large shady trees, tiered garden beds, war memorials and plenty of lawn to spread out on. The 2.5-hectare space was passed into public hands and opened for community use in 1937, and in 1970 Queen Elizabeth opened the Captain Cook Memorial Fountain here, designed by the late modernist sculptor Margel Ina Hinder. It's a fitting backdrop for a market that's as much about the city's creative community as it is about the shopping.