History of the Irene Village Market
This year sees the 25th anniversary of the Irene Village Market.
When Josene Groenewald moved to Gauteng (then Transvaal) in the late 1980’s she became a regular visitor to the Smuts House Museum Tea Garden.
After another Sunday afternoon tea with her family at the Museum she thought she’d like to help the Museum, which was very under utilized at that stage. She has been a keen visitor to various markets in Cape Town (when living there before moving to Irene) but she had found no significant markets in Gauteng. She realized that there must be others with the same need for visiting a worthwhile market over week-ends and on the Monday morning set off to get the ball rolling.
She first met with the “War Veterans” to get their consent to use the gardens of the Smuts House Museum for a monthly market. Because she didn’t know Gauteng that well she asked the help of a friend, Elizia Strydom and together they worked hard at this new project.The first market was held on 13 May 1989 at Smuts House.
The market now boasts around 300 stalls and you’ll find original clothing, jewellery, furniture, antiques, toys, and many more.
There were 34 exhibitors and about half of Pretoria attended! The Mayor of Pretoria officially opened the market. From the outset they carefully selected the exhibits and products at the market and that remains the winning recipe for the market’s success, even today.
The market now boasts around 300 stalls and you’ll find original clothing, jewellery, furniture, antiques, toys, and many more. There is also a separate deli section where you can choose from a wide selection of fresh bread, muffins, cheese, wine, pesto’s, herbs, flowers and other delicacies. There is also a tea garden at the food stalls where you can enjoy something to eat while you listen to jazz or classical music.
The market has come a long way since those first years when Josene and Elizia did all the work themselves – from designing posters to putting them up on lamp poles throughout the city. They worked very hard. At first the market was only held on the second Saturday of the month but is now also held on the last Saturday of every month. During November and December there are more markets held to accommodate shopping for Christmas gifts.
Find out more about the Irene Village Market:
Website: www.irenemarket.co.za
Tel no: 0126671659 (office hours 09:00 – 12:30)
Email: irenemkt@mweb.co.za