What to do and see in Melbourne, Victoria: The Best Shopping

Blender Studios is an art complex with 24+ resident artists. Over the years there have been many Blender artists working in a variety of mediums, who have achieved major critical success. The Blender incorporates artist studios, Dark Horse Experiment Gallery, Melbourne Street Tours, and our workshop programs through The Blender Institute. The Blender is an ideas factory where nearly anything goes. It is self- sustainable and tries to bring art to everyone. It is not elitist and everyone is always welcome.

Queen Victoria Market is an authentic, bustling, inner-city market that has been the heart and soul of Melbourne for over 140 years. Home to over 600 small businesses, it’s a great place to discover fresh and specialty produce, hand-made and unique products, great coffee and food, souvenirs and clothing. Shopping at the Market has always been one of life’s great pleasures. It’s not just the abundance of fresh food, it’s the friendly banter with the traders, the vibrant and multicultural atmosphere, the special events and festivals, and the sense of belonging that comes with it. Queen Victoria Market is also home to the Night Market on Wednesday nights, showcasing global street food, live music and entertainment, festival bars, specialty shopping and a great Melbourne night out. Be sure to take the Ultimate Foodie Tour, a two-hour, guided walking tour where you’ll indulge in some of the best food the Market has to offer. Bookings essential.

Welcome to Prahran Market, Melbourne's Food Lover's Market. Knowing the right place to go, is everything.You go for the taste, the sounds, smells and in our case, the freshness.And you only get it all at Prahran Market, Melbourne's oldest-and tastiest-fresh food Market.Prahran Market is proud to be Australia's premier food market- famous for outstanding food and hard to find specialities.Our Traders take pride in stocking the highest quality of ingredients and source locally wherever possible.They offer the widest choice to customers- including heirloom produce and hard to find specialties, cheeses, small goods, artisan products, certified organic fruit and veg, beef, pork, poultry and game.Not to mention fresh sustainable fish, seafood, shellfish and crustaceans. Our Traders will also give you expert advice on all your purchases; where they come from, what is best in season, how much to buy, how to prepare and ways to cook to perfection.By shopping at Prahran Market, Melbourne's best food market, you are also helping to support Victorian farmers' margins, family owned businesses and Melbourne's food variety and great diversity. If you haven't been here for a while, come and visit us! We know you will love it. We hope to see you soon.

Melbourne Central is a diverse shopping and dining destination that invites you to keep exploring. Bringing together more than 300 retailers over five levels, Melbourne Central is home to an absorbing range of Australian and international fashion brands from Gorman, Alannah Hill, Crumpler to Vans and Nique. Take a sugar break at Cupcake Central, a beauty break at Mecca Maxima or an indulgent time-out at Self Centred Medi Spa. The buzz continues after dark, whether you are lurking in Knox Lane with its graffiti by Melbourne's infamous DABS and MYLA, or basking beneath a screen in the Hoyts Lux Cinema. Spanning two city blocks, the centre boasts several unique architectural features including the giant Marionette Watch hanging in Shot Tower Square, famous for its hourly rendition of the Australian anthem 'Waltzing Matilda'. The square is named after the historic Coops Shot Tower a bullet-making facility built in 1889. Today, the brick shot tower stands proudly in its original place, protected by a modern twist: the magnificent Glass Cone, designed in the '80s by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. While it floods the centre with natural light, the Glass Cone's design also makes it one of Melbourne's most recognisable landmarks. Located atop the City Loop Melbourne Central train station and can be found on the iconic free city circle tram route. Melbourne Central boasts 822 car parks making it the perfect base for Melbourne city excursions. The five-star-rated parents' retreat offers a sanctuary for families, while The Little Library free book exchange provide spaces for pause and escape from the city's frenetic buzz. Whatever brings you to Melbourne, be it shopping, exploring, lunch, brunch or simply an unexpected adventure, it is all waiting between Lonsdale and La Trobe. Or to go behind the scenes book a place on Melbourne Central's Unlocked Tour which leads visitors around hidden nooks, rarely-seen vantage points and secret rooftops. Bernadette Alibrando can also tell you the tales of Melbourne Central's huge range of artworks in the Walk to Art Tours. For bookings please visit the Melbourne Central website.

The Royal Arcade is a charming heritage shopping arcade in the heart of Melbourne's CBD. The Royal Arcade was proudly the first arcade in Melbourne and is the longest-standing arcade in Australia. Originally designed by Charles Webb and constructed in 1869, the arcade has high glass roof and windowed stores. At the south end, the arcade features effigies of mythical figures Gog and Magog and a clock that chimes each hour. The arcade connects Little Collins Street to the Bourke Street Mall, with a perpendicular passage running to Elizabeth Street in the west. The Royal Arcade is much loved by locals and tourists and is an icon of the city. It is recognised on the Victorian Heritage Register and Melbourne's Golden Mile heritage walk runs through the arcade. The Royal Arcade is famous for its boutique fashion stores as well as specialty stores such as Spellbox where you can have your fortune read, Little royal Macarons and Babushka Russian dolls. The Royal Arcade houses an eclectic mix of unique stores with something to suite all tastes.

Located in the heart of Melbourne's Chinatown, the Chinese Museum's five floors showcase the heritage and culture of Australia's Chinese community. Our purpose is to operate a museum, to promote and preserve Chinese Culture and history - especially of Australian-Chinese history in Australia.

Experience life at The Village Market. Since 1867, South Melbourne Market has been a treasured inner city landmark and a favourite amongst locals and visitors. It is the quintessential village market, a place where people come not only to purchase fresh food, but to meet, eat, drink, shop, discover, share and connect. Our walls are full of authentic traders who display their wares with pride and passion. Quirky and playful characters are found behind the counters, delivering old fashioned customer service with a smile. We embrace and showcase the local, supporting local farmers, artisans and producers. It’s a foodie’s paradise where freshness, quality and diversity are paramount with food stuffs from land to sea. We celebrate a philosophy of Real Food. Local Life. encouraging you to cook food that is made from great quality, fresh produce sourced from our family of traders you know, love and trust. We are a home to seriously good coffee, specialty tea and a vibrant restaurant precinct for day and night time fun. There’s also an amazing array of merchandise and services with everything from clothing, homewares and second hand books to hairdressing and pet food. With a full calendar of live music, events and activities, the Market is a happy and experiential place that celebrates the senses. Take a trip to the Market, you never know what you’ll find, but we guarantee it will be full of surprise, moments and wonder.

Flemington Racecourse Market provides the best of regional Victorian produce and craft work just around the corner for millions of Melbournians. 2017 Market Dates: Sunday 27th August Sunday 17th September Sunday 15th October SPECIAL **Twilight Market** Friday 1st December Sunday 17th December See website for more details