Vine & Dine Market: 5 Things I Love

The Vine & Dine Market is one of the newest markets we have attended – but it is certainly not managed by amateurs. The organisers of the Blakes Crossing Market, alongside Deputy Mayor Clint Marsh, have organised a handful of events within the past year. And last month was our first time attending as stallholders!

This jam-packed event is held at the local winery, Virgara Wines, showcasing all kinds of small and local businesses in a one-of-a-kind evening out – and here’s five reasons why:

1. Diversity of stalls. There’s something for everyone at these events – even if you’re not fond of alcohol like ourselves. Outside of the vast selection of quality gin, wine and spirits tastings, there was an entire area dedicated to market stalls.

Explore stalls of homemade hot sauces, honey, jams and chutneys. Find yourself indulging in freeze-dried treats, potato on a stick and lamb, chicken and combination yiros. Wander amidst stalls of handmade creations, including jewellery, leatherwork and crochet, knit and sewn creations. And of course, there were plants, candles and soaps to take home as well!

The event also had a dedicated area for pony rides, mini sound healing sessions, carnival games, hair braids, caricatures and wonderful live music from Moe Walker Music.

2. Professional organisers. As mentioned before, although it is a relatively newer market, it is not managed by amateurs or money-hungry organisers who up and leave once they have your market fee!

As the organisers of the Blakes Crossing Markets: Corina (right), Jess (left) and Ruby (not pictured) have plenty of experience in hosting quality markets that are enjoyed by customers and stallholders alike. And as a stallholder, you are guaranteed to be receiving quality, professionalism and dedication in exchange for your stall fee.

Even on the day, some minor hiccups that occurred during set-up were dealt with quickly and professionally, ensuring that the rest of the day continued on without any issues! They were all found wandering the premises throughout the event and checking in with people – as true market organisers do.

3. The community. It sounds cliche, I know, but we were overwhelmed by the support that we received on the day. People arrived up to an hour before the event even opened because they were so enthusiastic for a fun day in the sun!

There was a fantastic turn out of customers, all of which were so friendly and eager to support the artists and small businesses. At the time of the event, we were running our 2024 Halloween raffle, and we received dozens of wonderful name suggestions!

Thinking back on the day, we are still so grateful to everyone who showed up for us, and for everyone else. There are very few markets who can and do rally together such a fantastic turnout of people, and I have consistently seen the Vine and Dine community do that.

A part of that comes down to marketing and promotion from the Vine and Dine Team, and another part comes to the community truly caring for the local artists and small businesses!

4. Gorgeous space. How could I not bring to light this wonderful space that this event is hosted on?

In the lead-up to the event, Adelaide’s weather had been very temperamental, with thunderstorms throughout the week. We were dreading to receive an email that would be postponing the event due to the storms, or the weather making the ground so muddy that it wouldn’t be enjoyable for anyone on the day. But the day arrived, the sunshine pulled through, and the grass was as dry as a bone!

I managed to go for a brief wander during the event and I adored the space we were in. Surrounded by trees and bordered by the sight of a thriving vineyard. There was plenty of space to accommodate the large crowds of people coming through, and all of the market stalls were spaced out appropriately (both in terms of proximity and in relation to what stall holders were selling – e.g. not having two plant stalls side by side!)

5. A commitment to safety. It is clear that safety is top priority for the organisers of the Vine and Dine events.

On the day, there were numerous security guards wandering around to keep an eye on the event, as well as an area for medical assistance if required. The Vine and Dine team also enforced a ‘No Bring-Your-Own Alcohol’ rule to ensure the safety of all participants on the day.

Safety is an important part of any event, but one so large and that involves alcohol is a must. And I am proud to say that – to this date – I have not seen any disruptive instances during their events (which I believe is thanks to the care of the community as much as the presence of security).

So, if you feel nervous in attending an alcohol-orientated event for whatever reason, you can be rest assured that the Vine and Dine team work hard to make it a safe space for everyone involved.

Vine and Dine have two events each year (typically around February and October), and it is safe to say we will be applying for all of their events in the future. We cannot wait to be back and see so many friendly and smiling faces once again – some regular and many new!

We hope to see you all again for the upcoming Vine and Dine events, as well!

Kimberley (they/them)

Accessories by Antoinette