The Maldon footy ground is looking good and green, all 125 stallholder sites are booked out, good weather for the weekend was booked in advance, and around 3,500 visitors are eager to experience a warm Maldon welcome. Gates open to the public from 8am tomorrow (Saturday) to around 2pm Sunday for this weekend’s mighty Maldon Antique Fair.

Organiser Mark Blythe is calmly excited and said, “The Antique Fair is going to double the retail space of this town for 48 hours.”

Visitors to MaldON will need to stayON, eatON, partyON, drinkON, shopON… “So, there’s plenty of economic benefit for the town,” said Mark. “… and the five-dollar gate fee and food proceeds means the Antique Fair is the principal fundraising event for the Maldon Football Netball Club.”

The event started in 2009 as an event of Maldon Inc – the business association of Maldon. As the ‘man in charge’, Mark sought the support of family, friends… and the local footy club. “I asked Scott and Leanne Mitchell at the Club to give me a hearing to bounce the idea off them.

“You can keep the gate… you can have the food… you can have the grog (because they had a licence). There was a bit of pause, a think, a look at each other and they said, ‘Yeah. All right. Okay. Alright then.’ And we were up and running.”

The event has experienced setbacks, including a cyclone. However, the benefits include an increase in the number of visitors to Maldon and the local area. It helps promote local businesses and gives visitors a reason to make a return visit to Maldon. The event fosters a stronger sense of community and highlights the importance of major events overall to Maldon and surrounds. It’s also a great opportunity for locals to get out and about and to show their support for ‘all things’ Maldon.

“See you at the Fair,” said Mark. 

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 16 February 2024.