Bay Harbour Market: For every type and taste bud
19 Jun 2014
As tempting as sleeping in on a rainy Saturday morning may be, don't let this Mother City and her weather moods make you miss out on a weekend at Bay Harbour Market which, I believe, is one of the best markets Cape Town has to offer.
Apart from the fact that the market caters for every type of person and taste bud with 110 weekly traders offering food, coffee, art, crafts and nine beers on tap; as of this month, it also hosts an acoustic music contest called 'Republica Live!' inviting all up-and-coming local singers and musicians.
Vintage Saturdays at Bay Harbour Market showcases stunning vintage apparel from labels such as Love You Long Time, Miss Thrift, Vagabond and Dreamland. Dresses, tops, coats, shoes, bags, accessories - whatever tickles your fancy, you'll find it in the dedicated Vintage Saturday clothing section every second Saturday between 9.30am and 4.30pm.
All about community
From a brief chat with Co-Founder of the market, Anthony Stroebel, it's clear that he is all about community-building and upliftment. His motivation behind having the market is to inspire hope and change in Hout Bay and also to celebrate the culture and creativity of Cape Town and South Africa. Today, Bay Harbour Market employs 65 people from the Hangberg community and is involved in a range of initiatives for example SMIPES, which in turn supports organisations such as Little Angels among others.
Scoring even more brownie points, the market requires that all stallholders use biodegradable compostable cutlery and containers, and recycles all waste. According to Stroebel, the market has gone from 60 black bins over a weekend to eight at the moment and aims to continue lowering this number to ensure as little waste as possible.
What else to expect
Browse around for other authentic gems like shoes, clothing, jewellery, hats, crockery, home décor & appliances and art, get your hair braided, or take a breather from all the eating and shopping and get a massage. I just had my one hand massaged by Thandi from Thandi Xhosa Massage and that almost sent me off to dreamland.
The Bay Harbour Market's awesome fireplace and live music ensures a cosy, lively atmosphere - perfect conditions to snack away on anything from breakfast rolls and burgers to cheesecake and ice cream. Vegetarians, don't stress, you are also spoilt for choice.
View 14 June's Vintage Saturday gallery.
The Bay Harbour Market is situated at 31 Harbour Road, Hout Bay - on the water's edge in the old, authentic part of Hout Bay. It's open on Fridays from 5pm-9pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9.30am-4pm. Check out the website www.bayharbour.co.za or the Bay Harbour Market Facebook page.
About Ilse van den Berg
Ilse is a freelance journalist and editor with a passion for people & their stories (check out Passing Stories). She is also the editor of Go & Travel, a platform connecting all the stakeholders in the travel & tourism industry. You can check out her work here and here. Contact Ilse through her website here.
