Perfect weather made Pindimar Markets 2026 a year to remember

PINDIMAR again became the rightful centre of the known universe with another grand success for the Pindimar Markets on Saturday, 24 October 2026.

Spring finally made a late appearance, with a 27-degree cloudless day a surprise after a month of wet and wintry weather.

Heavy rains and chilly weather during the previous week had kept organisers concerned right up until the Friday setup.

After a mammoth effort by the committee and volunteers from the Pindimar/Bundabah Community Association (PBCA), multiple local community groups were invited to set up inside and outside the big shed, alongside several local vendors and government branches, including all three levels of government.

Elements of the Pindimar/Tea Gardens RFS, Lemon Tree Passage Marine Rescue and Tea Gardens Red Cross volunteer groups turned out, with the latter running their famous bake sale, only to sell out before 11am after offering the toughest of choices to those who got in early enough.

Local authors Ray Keipert, Greg Mutton and Jan Winn were joined by local artists, artisans and community service groups, including Myall Koala & Environment Group (MKEG) and Wildlife In Need of Care (WINC).

Multiple stalls sprawled out across Leonie Fidden Park and the new Pindimar Playground, all the way out to the famous Thong Throw, which was a welcome return in 2026.

The chocolate wheel handed out all kinds of prizes, the Pearls of Port Stephens ran their well-stocked ‘Buy My Wardrobe’ pop-up op shop, and there were plenty of things for the kids to do, from offerings by the local preschool to the petting zoo, and more.

The usual high-calibre live music was performed by the locally comprised Band with No Name, featuring Doug Gillespie (guitar), Bert Noonan (bass), James Brigden (keyboard), Jeff Edwards (drums), and all four providing vocals, as well as vocal and guitar renditions by Jack and Joe van der Linden.

The massive PBCA barbecue started to heat up from mid-morning, feeding the masses and what seemed like an endless queue.

“It seemed like the biggest turnout so far, especially judging by the barbecue,” PBCA committee spokesperson Clare Mason told NOTA.

“Once we started to serve, the queue just kept growing, not the waves of previous years.”

“There were more stall-holders than ever before.

“A big thank-you to the community for supporting us. A lot of work goes into it, but it wouldn’t be without the local community’s support.”

Preparation for next year’s markets starts almost immediately, kicking into high gear once the Pindimar Winter Warmer in July is over.

EFTPOS was, once again, a challenge as the limited signal in the area was eaten up by the temporarily exploded population. Those who plan ahead came armed with cash.

Jenny and Lori were busy all day with the thong throw, helped with the measuring by Tim. But the hyper-competitive nature of the free event, and Jenny’s elaborate record-keeping and categorisation by throwers’ generation group, means that official results will not be ready for a while. The winners will be contacted.

By Thomas O’KEEFE