Remarkables Market opened to thousands of bustling bargain hunters and browsers on Saturday and organisers say they have space for a further 20 stalls.
The family friendly European-style market returned for its second summer in the shed and land near the Remarkables Park Town Centre.
A total of 39 stalls from around the South traded on the day, split evenly between food and crafts, and up from the 30-35 stalls present last season.
Market manager Sherryn Smith said 13 new vendors came on board and they were selling hazelnuts, jewellery, muesli, plants, cherry blossoms and dog biscuits.
"It's growing. People want to be here. Eventually we'll expand into the wind fence and that'll be capacity for another 20 stalls," Ms Smith said.
Crisp and Vale co-owner Suzanne Vale said the market was "where everyone is, it's becoming the hub of the Frankton area. It's a good vibe and more of a meeting place and the overheads are low.
"People are becoming more discerning and want to know where the produce comes from and how it's made."
Husband-and-wife team Ivan and Elena Skorykh, of Queenstown, were selling Russian Siberian birch bark crafts on behalf of their artisan friends in a guild in their homeland. There were birch table sets, bread boxes, barrels, jewellery and Russian dolls.
Mr Skorykh said they chose to trade at Remarkables Market because "we like the atmosphere here and it lets us tell the story" behind the crafts.
A group from Wakatipu High School sold strawberry plants and sheep manure which pupils dug up from Coronet Peak Station. The manure was "perfect for growing a wide variety of plants, great compost", parent Hal Shaw said.
The stall was one of the fundraising efforts by year 12 pupils Angus Shaw, Annabel Dickson, Andrew Benington, Steph Walsh and Tom Gray for their two-week exchange trip in January to Queenstown's sister city Aspen, teacher and chaperone Megan Ide said.
A pair of pupils on rotation will help set up and pack down the market as another fundraiser.
Remarkables Market operates every Saturday, except Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, from 8am to 1pm, until April 7.
• The Queenstown Farmers' Market, featuring regional growers and primary producers from around the South, will return to the grounds of St Peter's Anglican Church every Saturday morning, except Christmas Eve, from December 3 to March 31.
Stalls would be open from 9am to 12.30pm, market manager Sharlene Inch said.
