Wollongong Makers Market

The Wollongong Makers Market, which bills itself as the UPmarket, brings together more than 100 Illawarra artists and artisans for a friendly, upbeat weekend of one-of-a-kind handmade shopping on the University of Wollongong's Innovation Campus. The market is curated, and stallholders must make their own goods, so you'll find ceramics, knitwear, crochet, macramé, leatherwork, woodwork and upcycled creations alongside jewellery ranging from fine silver to polymer clay. There are also locally made perfumes and cosmetics, hand-dyed clothing, homemade chocolates and a large combined stall from the Illawarra Craft and Arts Network (ICAN). When you need a break, international food stalls, coffee and local wines sit alongside live music in a café-style lounge downstairs in the Central Building. The market runs only twice a year, in May before Mother's Day and in November for Christmas, which makes it a go-to for meaningful handmade gifts.