Things to Do in Tasmania This Weekend: Events, Markets and Activities

Saturday morning in Tasmania begins best at one of the state's signature markets. Hobart's Salamanca Market, held every Saturday from 8:30am along the sandstone warehouses of Salamanca Place, is one of Australia's most celebrated open-air markets, with more than 300 stalls spread across the historic precinct offering fresh produce, artisan food, handcrafted jewellery, Tasmanian art, clothing and live music. Arriving before 9am gets you the best of the fresh produce before the crowds build. In Launceston, the Harvest Market at UTAS Stadium car park on Saturday mornings draws farmers, bakers and specialty food producers from across northern Tasmania. Post-market, Hobart's café strips in North Hobart along Elizabeth Street and in the CBD's Criterion Street precinct offer excellent brunch options, with multiple venues serving Tasmanian produce-forward menus and exceptional specialty coffee.

Tasmania's outdoor landscape provides weekend activities that few places in Australia can match. Mount Wellington (kunanyi) looms over Hobart and is accessible by car to the summit, where 360-degree views on clear days extend across Hobart, the Derwent estuary and the broader south-east. Walking tracks from Fern Tree at the mountain's base range from family-friendly gully walks through to more demanding ridge lines for experienced walkers. The Clarence foreshore in Hobart's eastern suburbs offers flat cycling and walking paths along the Derwent with good coffee stops in Bellerive Village. For water-based weekends, the Huon River south of Hobart is popular for kayaking, and Bruny Island, reached via a short car ferry from Kettering, offers a full day of scenic driving, wildlife spotting including wallabies and echidnas, and sampling cheese and oysters at the Bruny Island Cheese Company.

Tasmania's arts and cultural calendar provides strong weekend options for those seeking indoor or family-friendly experiences. MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art in Berriedale north of Hobart, remains Australia's most talked-about private art museum and a genuinely unmissable experience, best reached on weekends via the MONA ROMA ferry from Hobart's waterfront. Entry for Tasmanian residents is free. The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) on Davey Street in Hobart offers permanent collections on Tasmanian natural history, Aboriginal culture and fine art, and is free to enter. In Launceston, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in the Royal Park precinct covers science, natural history and Tasmanian heritage. Community events, festivals and pop-up markets feature heavily across both cities on weekends throughout the year.

Saturday evening in Tasmania offers a rich range of dining and entertainment options across Hobart's precincts. Salamanca Place transitions from the morning market to one of the city's most atmospheric evening destinations, with restaurants, wine bars and live music venues running until late. The waterfront strip along Sullivans Cove includes both casual fish and chip options overlooking the boats and more refined dining at the city's better restaurants. Pubs in the CBD such as the Brunswick Hotel on Liverpool Street and venues along the Macquarie Street corridor feature live music on weekend nights. For sunset views, the kunanyi summit is hard to beat on a clear evening, while the Nutgrove Beach esplanade in Sandy Bay provides a more accessible vantage point with a relaxed neighbourhood atmosphere as the sun sets over the Derwent.

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