Irene Market is the most authentic village market in Johannesburg
The Irene Village Market near Midrand is at The Big Red Barn and is one of the most mesmerizing, authentic art & craft markets in the Johannesburg area with a great many locally crafted goods and food to choose from.
The secret behind its authenticity
The market was established in 1989 and has been strongly trading ever since. The secret to their success is the strict quality control every craftsman’s product has to go through in order to make it to the stalls. The market has been moved from its original location, the Jan Smuts House in Irene, but all for the better.
We provide inexpensive accommodation in Midrand which is about a 16-minute drive away from the Irene Market. If you’d like to find out more about our discounted rates, please head to our Specials page.
Walking among the isles of Irene Market near Midrand
The new venue with its charming, farm-like atmosphere and with a handful of well-established shops and restaurants further enhances the market to an outstanding weekend fair, which is a perfect family outing. The vendors position their stalls very cleverly, so they form a sort of never-ending network of alleys under the shade of ancient Eucalyptus trees.
Browsing among the stands, visitors can find a vast variety of handcrafted and uniquely designed merchandise, and it is not uncommon to stumble upon numerous masterpieces along the way. As you venture deeper and deeper into the charming realm of Irene Village Market, eventually the captivating atmosphere will hook you for good. The medley of fascinating handmade goods finally turns into a variety of irresistible bouquets of craft food freshly prepared at the stalls. From a myriad of spices, you’ve never even heard of to special homemade sauces followed by Italian grilled delicacies and irresistible freshly baked goods that will all leave you with an inescapable urge to try them all and come back for more.
More fun by the market
Clay Cafe at the Barn
One of the shops, just to mention a few of these great additions, is The Clay Cafe. This DIY pottery creates a unique opportunity for visitors of all ages to discover their artistic side by hand painting unfired bisque crockery with the colours of the entire rainbow to choose from. They serve exceptional Coffee, freshly baked cakes and heavenly homemade ice cream here to keep you inspired.
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The Red Barn Cafe
Another shop that you can’t leave out is The Red Barn Cafe, which is a phenomenal farmland restaurant with ample culinary treasures to choose from. Whether you are looking for a wholesome, generous plate of food to satisfy your craving, or just want a quick bite of “yummy” to eat, you will unquestionably find something to your taste.
Ludwig’s Roses
There is always room to improve your garden. And when it comes to flowers, Ludwig’s Roses is probably your best bet to find the crown jewel for your lawn. You may find countless varieties of roses available at his world-renowned flower shop.
Acrobranch Centurion
Another service that is important to mention here is the Acrobranch tree-top adventure. This is one of Gauteng’s most exciting tree adventure parks, where a true action-filled experience is waiting for children and adults with four difficulty-level adventure courses to choose from. Additionally, a fantastic long zip-slide called the “Big Zip” and an Acrotwigs-bungy are also featured here for the more enthusiastic adventurers.
If you’ve never been to the Irene Village Market near Midrand, then you just haven’t seen a real market yet. If you’ve been before, you know very well that you are going to have to go back again for another great experience.
Irene Market opening times
Lastly, it is important to know, that the normal opening schedule for the Irene Market is the first and the last Saturday of every month from 8:00 to 13:30. Exceptions are in December and January. The special opening date schedule for the Christmas season can be found on their website calendar.
We hope you’ll enjoy your time there.
Post updated: 28 Mar 2023
You may find more activities on our Things to do near Midrand page.