Saturday 21st September 2019 - Big Design Market @ The Cutaway Barangaroo

I try to avoid going to events on a Saturday but sometimes you just can't make it to an event any other time.

Today it was trackwork yet again on the Metroline and Northshore line which means a bus replacement to the city and out to Hornsby ( making getting to work tomorrow a bit of a hassel again).

So it was a bus to Chatswood and another bus to Wynyard to get to The Big Design Market out at Barangaroo. Normally it would be a bus to Chatswood then a train to Wynyard.

Luckily there are other ways to get into the city from Chatswood although they usually take longer ( no other way to get to work though). Then there is all the construction work around Barangaroo and every time I have to get there the pathway changes between Wynyard Station and The Cutaway. It is a virtual obstacle course not just a very long walk!

I arrived at The Cutaway at Barangaroo around 2 pm. The Big Design Market is on for 3 days from 10 am each day. Closing times daily vary. The markets closed on  Saturday at 6 pm.

The entry fee this year was $5 which I paid in cash - no receipts given. There was a huge queue when I arrived which snaked around the entrance of The Cutaway all the way to the first set of stairs at Barangaroo.

I spent about 2 - 3 hours there. I have to admit it was mostly the same old stalls however there is an increase trend of reduce reuse recycle products and services.

At the market this year I really wanted a Big Design Market show bag for $15 with a different one available each day . Unfortunately every year I go to The Big Design Market they are sold out before I arrive including this year.

I purchased a few things this time round - a bush lemon and ginger tea soda which tasted like a honey and lemon ice tea ( they had sold out of strawberry gum and I am not keen on native mint) , a packet of snowflake patterned nail wraps ( after sampling one on my middle finger on my right hand of a pink glittery one)  and a packet of (my favourite brand ) Crackle gingerbread ( it was a toss up between gingerbread or rosemary) and caramel popcorn.

photos below.

1 pkt of 16 nail wraps $15 / pkt

1 packet of Crackle popcorn $7/pkt

1 cup of lemon balm & ginger tea soda $5/cup

This was a great idea - reusable stainless steel coffee cups to borrow and return to be washed and reused by other visitors to the markets at $6 deposit I would be tempted to kerp mine instead of returning it. I don't drink coffee so don't add to the disposable coffee cup waste  nor do I usually use any type of straws or plastic cups however I did use a paper straw and plastic cup today for my tea soda purchased above.

Everything Ecofriendly was available for purchase at this year's Big Design Market - metal straws glass straws bamboo lunch boxes glass lunch boxes chopsticks metal cutlery sets fabric bags insulated paper lunch bsgs silicon fold up water bottles stay trays to go with all the reusable coffee cups being produces bees wax wraps etc etc the list is endless.

There were not as many food and drinks stalls as at previous Big Design Markets and no foid trucks inside The Cutaway with only 1 food truck parked outside The Cutaway entrance.

Bloomfield Pies always sell out before I arrive whenever they have a stall at an event I attend

Innocent Bystander a new sponsor at this year's Big Design Market?? selling their well known Moscato as well as other alcoholic drinks under their brand name

Every man and his dog is distilling gin or producing some sort of gin related product such as flavoured syrups to accompany your gin and tonic.

Kids products and a large kids play area was located at the back end of the markets where I met 2 tourists who asked me to take a selfie of them with their heads peeping through one of the above artworks.

Glassware and ceramic ware - Batch another tableware company the owner of the company I work for tried to avoid - we used to be a stockist of their company

Seaside Tones was my favourite clothing stall at this year's markets and there was no lack of clothing stalls present. Then there were the more bizzare stalls such as the above jewellery stall amongst stationery stalls and a wide variety of ceramic stalls. Candles handbags potions and lotions tech accessories etc these markets had them all.

Because it was my only day off , I stopped off at Woolworths to purchase some groceries before taking 2 buses home. I didn't need a snack as I had purchased a bag of 12 chicken nuggets from Coles at Wynyard on my way to The Big Design Market as well as withdrawing some cash and recharge my Opal card for the week.