Last-minute Christmas markets and festive food to find in Darwin this weekend
A massive plant sale, arcade Christmas market and carols by candlelight promise to deliver Darwin's biggest festive weekend yet, writes Kate Dinning.
WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND
You guessed it… It’s Christmas.
Kick off your Saturday with the HATS NT’s huge one-day fundraiser sale at their Coconut Grove op-shop from 9am – 2pm.
If that’s not enough to get you there, the Save A Paw NT team will be at the shop with some of their adorable animals currently up for adoption!
If you’ll be home for Christmas, it’s also a great time to consider short-term fostering to help an animal during the busiest time of year, it is Christmas after all.
Sunday seems like the big day this weekend – and it is indeed a big week for Darwin’s favourite plant and smoothie bowl store Botanicool, as this month will be their last month in the Stuart Park shed.
On Sunday from 8am, they will host a massive yard sale - with everything from plants to furniture on sale.
Get in early and snap up a $5 plant.
Air Raid Arcade also transforms into a festive market on Sunday evening, packed with local makers, creative stalls and a great Christmas atmosphere.
You can wander through Colourama, Babylon Bar, Ginger Pink, The Last Supper, and even get a Christmas photo at Anyone Studio.
To finish the weekend, the City of Darwin Carols by Candlelight will now take place at the Darwin Convention Centre from 6.30pm.
Hot tip: there’s also a live viewing screen at the Darwin Waterfront lawns among the other decorations if you miss out on a Convention Centre spot, or prefer sitting outdoors.
SOMEWHERE YOU NEED TO EAT
Christmas seems like the season for fun drinks, so if you’re feeling a little festive, pop into the Vic Arcade and try the Meow Waffee Gingerbread latte.
It has a gingerbread waffle, house-made gingerbread syrup, gingerbread cream cheese cream, and your choice of milk. YUM!
If you’re looking for slightly less sweet but equally as good, try the Laneway pistachio foam iced latte – trust me, they’re addictive.
The next one on my list is the salted caramel iced latte from Percolated, a cute little coffee van in Woolner.
A hot food tip: a favourite Darwin Restaurant, Ella, has opened up their venue for lunch on Fridays in December – so you’ve got two more weeks to soak that up.
LOCALS TIP
It’s Secret Santa time, and sometimes it’s tricky to find a gift for a specific dollar amount – so I always try to think about gifting experiences or little treats for their day-to-day, rather than just buying things for the sake of it.
A favourite that has always worked for me in Secret Santa is a voucher to their favourite coffee shop or restaurant.
You’ll rarely find someone disappointed to unwrap free coffee or café treats, and we’re supporting local businesses at the same time.
There are so many great local products to include on your Christmas gift list – if you have missed out on the incredible Christmas local markets so far, pop into any local store with a door and see what you can find.
I will be adding these adorable locally printed clothes to my gifting list - buying any of the shirts, hats, and baby rompers from Yolŋu Radio’s website supports Yolŋu Radio and the community.
