Community
3 July, 2025
Popular event set to return
WHAT started as an idea to help bring people together might just become an annual event for Mortlake.
The Mortlake Mini-Market Craft and Demonstration Day is set to return next weekend after a successful launch last year.
Stallholders and community groups will fill the Mortlake Senior Citizens Centre (75 Townsend Street) on Saturday, July 12 from 1-4pm.
Mortlake’s Patsy Riordan, a member of the Senior Citizens Club, said the idea had originally been to create a way for new members of the community to learn more about what the town has to offer.
After a positive reception from the wider community in the inaugural event, Mrs Riordan said everyone involved was excited to return for another year.
“It was very successful last year so we thought we would have another one this year,” she said.
“We’ve got about ten stallholders who will be there on the day and we will also have a raffle with eight draws.
“There will be stalls featuring knife and garden tool sharpening, both branches of the Country Women’s Association, quilt sales, the Mortlake and District Historical Society, a man will be there selling honey, the Mortlake Men’s Shed will have a stall and there will also be beading.
“We’d like to thank all the donors, the local traders who have made donations to our raffle.”
Mrs Riordan said stallholders from the inaugural event were excited to return as they felt the idea of showcasing what local groups have on offer for members had helped to provide a uniting presence.
“The stallholders were all interested in returning after the first year,” she said.
“They could advertise their clubs or wares – everyone I had asked was very keen to do it and the traders had no hesitation in donating.”
Mrs Riordan said seeing people build new connections in their town or rekindle old ones had been a positive experience emerging from COVID-19 restrictions, and believed such an event still held great value moving forward.
“Connecting people is what we wanted to achieve,” she said.
“We wanted new people who had come in to the town to see what was available.
“We’re hoping to see it be as successful, if not even bigger, this year.
“Everyone is invited to come along and see what our town has to offer.”
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