lifestyle
Rusty's Markets in Cairns Adapts with New Stalls and Extended Hours Amid Rising Tourism
The Spence Street venue is adding vendors and later trading times as visitor numbers climb and local routines shift.
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Rusty's Markets on Spence Street opened extra stalls for fresh produce and street food last month, pushing total trader numbers past 200 for the first time since 2023.
The change comes as Cairns records steady growth in short-stay visitors who now treat the Saturday and Sunday markets as a fixed stop rather than an optional detour. Council tourism figures show domestic arrivals through Cairns Airport rose 12 percent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, and operators say the extra foot traffic is reshaping what the markets sell and when they close.
New vendors and longer hours reshape the Spence Street site
Alongside long-time fruit and vegetable sellers, the markets now host three new coffee roasters and a rotating lineup of Thai and Vietnamese food trucks that set up near the northern entrance. Traders report that the extended Sunday closing time, moved from 2 pm to 4 pm starting in May, has lifted afternoon sales by roughly a quarter. Nearby, the Pier Marketplace on Wharf Street has added evening pop-ups on Fridays that draw some of the same crowd before they head to Rusty's the next day.
Local programs run by the Cairns Regional Council have supported the shift. The council's 2025 Markets Revitalisation Grant paid for new power points and shaded seating at the Spence Street site, while the separate Eat Local initiative supplies free training sessions for first-time stallholders on food-safety rules. Both schemes began accepting applications again in April this year.
Visitor data and price changes track the pace of growth
Cairns Airport passenger numbers reached 1.8 million in the year to March 2026, according to the latest quarterly report from the airport operator. Average spend per market visitor at Rusty's has climbed from $28 in 2024 to $37 this year, based on a survey of 400 shoppers conducted by the market management team in June. Stall rents for a standard 3-metre frontage now start at $85 on Saturdays, up from $70 two years ago.
Market manager Lisa Tran said the next round of changes will focus on weekday trial openings in the lead-up to the school holidays. Shoppers wanting to test the new layout can still arrive before 8 am on weekends to beat the main rush and park in the council lot on Sheridan Street for the flat $4 all-day rate.