PEOPLE ~ Nicole Riley

Each week we look at a different person who provides a service to Blue Mountains residents and tourists alike. Today, we look at Nicole Riley.

Hi, I’m Nicole Riley the owner of Magpie Up Style Market, Springwood Growers Market, and the manager of Blackheath Growers Market, I also manage a market up at Swansea (Pelican Foreshore).

Nicole Riley

I have been running markets in the blue mountains since I started working for Black Castle Events back in 2009.

My interest in farmers and producers’ markets, in general, goes back to 2004 when I lived in the UK and travelled with my family around Europe.

I fell in love with the little village farmers’ markets in England and then in Italy and France. I loved how the locals would support small local and regional producers instead of the large supermarkets.

You can talk with the stall holders, ask where their food is coming from and how it was raised or grown.

I also loved how the markets bought the community together. The social aspect always drew me to either attending or managing markets, especially food. Food tends to bring people from every nationality, race and background together.

When I finished my travels, I came back to Australia and got a job in the Retail sector, where I met Polly Feneck the owner and Organiser of Blackheath Growers Market and Castle Hill Fine Foods Market.

When I found out what Polly did for the work, I said do you have any positions available as running farmers’ markets and markets is what I feel I was born to do.

Well, I got the job and I have been involved in organising and running events ever since. In time I began managing Blackheath Growers Markets and not long after that in 2015 I bought Springwood Growers Market which was a small market at the time, it’s now grown into a thriving market that stallholders are on a waiting list to attend.

In 2021 I took over a long-running market in Lawson called Magpie Market, I changed the name to Magpie Up Style Market, the first thing I did was add food stalls to the Magpie, and now this too has become such a successful market that people travel from Sydney and further to come to.

I’m in my element, now and I’m happy to say you can shop 3 times a month from the markets I run.

As I have 4 markets that I either own or manage, I changed my business name to All Events Markets and Festivals which gives me the opportunity in the future to expand and maybe run Twilight markets in the Blue Mountains.

These are the markets I manage, Blackheath Growers Market is on every second Sunday, Magpie Up Style Market is the 3rd Sunday and Springwood Growers Market is the 4th Sunday of every month except December then it’s the 3rd Sunday.

I feel so privileged to be able to follow my passion to give small local and regional producers a platform to sell their products.

I am able to with Magpie Up Style Markets support many artisans such as timberwork, leather work, Needlework, jewellers, quilting handicraft, soap and candle makers, Artists, local Authors, musicians and of course food stalls.

I feel very blessed to run markets in such a beautiful place like the blue mountains and to follow my dreams.I ’m also grateful to my mentor Polly Feneck for putting her faith and trust in me and giving me a go nearly 14 years ago

I love promoting the blue mountains and the markets I run here. The great thing about my job is I get to see people enjoy themselves with family, friends, and their community just like the village markets overseas.

I love encouraging tourists to come and explore the markets and the many beautiful places in the blue mountains.

If you would like to visit my website for future dates here is the link. You can also follow the markets from the Facebook links below.