There’s no better way to keep your travels alive than by taking a piece of them home with you. Discover local labels, one-of-a-kind artworks, plenty of country style and gourmet goodies in Orange’s enticing boutique shops and markets.
Fashionable finds
No trip to Orange is complete without a visit to Jumbled, a vast concept store inside the historic Masonic Temple building that's bursting with colourful art, cushions, linens, candles, beach umbrellas, glassware and more. Owner Pip Brett lives by the motto "more is more, less is a bore". And her technicolour ethos will inspire you to brighten up your own space. There's also a dedicated fashion section, filled with high-end boutique brands from around the world.
Jumbled, Orange
The White Place takes a more restrained approach, offering a mostly neutral colour palette of rugs, textiles, light fixtures, furniture, art and women's clothing. If vintage is your thing, Dirty Janes is the third outpost of the beloved antiques emporium (behind Bowral and Canberra). An eclectic marketplace on Byng Street with more than 60 independent stalls inside, you can pick up furniture, artwork, records, toys, jewellery, fashion and retro collectables. There's even a cafe inside if you need to refuel between purchases.
Dirty Janes, Orange
You could spend the whole day in the Mary & Tex Curious Emporium. A true labour of love from a pair of Orange locals, the store houses everything from underwear to wall clocks, furniture to flowers. Cint Boutique stocks luxe labels from Australian and international designers like Camilla, Viktoria & Woods, Morrison and Veja. You'll find more well-known Australian labels at Danielle Louise, with Bec & Bridge, Ginger & Smart, Bassike, Camilla & Marc, Manning Cartel and more on the racks. Hawkes General Store is worth a visit for its range of too-cute kids' clothes, alongside women's fashion and homewares.
Boutiques in surrounding villages
Nearby, tiny Millthorpe is big on style, with many of the charming 19th-century buildings converted into boutique shops selling designer clothes, jewellery, local artwork, homewares and antiques. Visit Plants n Pretty Pieces for quirky paintings and home decor, or The Salon des Refuses for vintage treasures. In historic Carcoar, Tomolly stocks exquisite handmade Italian clothing, one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces, lush candles and leather accessories.
In Canowindra, Finns Store is set inside a building dating back to 1887, which was once the home of the village’s first store. In its modern incarnation, it’s an eclectic shop full of interior design pieces, fashion accessories and quirky gifts. There’s also coffee, food and wine tasting to round out the shopping experience.
Exploring the heritage-listed streets of Canowindra
To market, to market
On the second Saturday of the month between March and November, all of the top farmers, growers, makers and creators of the Orange region gather together for a most delicious morning. The Orange Farmers Market is justifiably famous, and it’s a place where locals and visitors alike come for coffee, breakfast and provisions. The stalls and their offerings change regularly, but there’s always a huge range of fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, olive oil, nuts, chocolate, cheese, jams, chutneys, plants, wine and flowers.
The Millthorpe Markets are held twice a year – on the first Sunday in April and December – with more than 250 stalls packed onto the town oval. Expect farm fresh produce as well as artisan treats like pickles, spices, olive oil, jerky, bread and nuts alongside clothing, jewellery, health and beauty, accessories, toys, arts and crafts, and woodwork. After the market, wander the pretty streets of the village, where beautifully preserved buildings from the early 1900s have been reborn as boutique shops and cafes.
Orange Farmers Market, Orange
Find a farm gate
If you're not in town on market day, there are still plenty of places you can buy fresh produce, chat with farmers or makers, and even pick your own fruit. Farm gates open their doors seasonally, depending on what can be picked from the tree or plucked from the bush. Thornbrook Orchard in Nashdale and Hillside Harvest in Borenore have cherries, apples, peaches, plums, figs, berries and grapes available at various times of the year – check their websites for timings. Between November and May, Huntley Berry Farm has an abundance of sweet fruit to be picked.
Borrodell Vineyard, Canobolas
Gourmet goodies
The countryside around Orange practically begs you to lay down a picnic rug somewhere scenic and enjoy a meal in the sun. The good news is there are plenty of places to pick up supplies, including perennially popular The Agrestic Grocer, which is part cafe, part wine cellar and part gourmet store. Pick up hampers and produce boxes stocked with cheese, bread, jams, fruits and veggies, or peruse the shelves and put together your own basket of goodies.
The bounty is just as tasty over at Red Chilli Deli, where there are more than 900 different local and regional products to tempt your tastebuds, from cured meats and cheeses to tapenades, preserves, artisan breads and oils. You can visit Ferment the Orange Wine Centre and Wine Store for a tasting paired with a cheese platter, or talk to the knowledgeable staff about which bottle of local wine to take away.
The Agrestic Grocer, Orange
