THE WESTVILLE Night Market, located at Jimmy Bellows Sports Field, is proving to be a popular entertainment and retail destination for residents.
Entrepreneur Taryn Chadwick says that the market owes its success to the Westville community, and she is grateful and humbled by the suburb’s support.
“That is the absolute joy about this market. It would not be here were it not for the Westville community. On our first night, 80 percent of the 65 vendors ran out of stock. We did not expect that kind of success at our opening market. We’re averaging 5 000 feet through the door per market now, with customers coming from as far away as Howick and Durban North,” says Chadwick.
ALSO READ: Highway Mail 28 October 2022
During the pandemic lockdown, she discovered several neighbours sold various products, such as meat, eggs, dairy and fresh produce. Chadwick says she still supports the small businesses she connected with then. The mother of two young children said she was in the tourism industry when Covid hit the country, and she started her first market in Pinetown in July 2019 to support her family. Her vendors asked the entrepreneur to start another market.
Now based at Jimmy Bellows Sports Field for the second month, Chadwick says the market doesn’t have the same stalls all the time and that she tries to keep the offerings ‘fresh’ so each market is new and exciting. The products are 90% home-produced. Together with the usual products offered at markets, the Westville Night Market has an eclectic variety of food available.
ALSO READ: Durban’s opera school produces world-class performers
“We have the usual hamburgers and wors rolls, but what attracts people is the different food that you can’t find in a mall. We have Chinese food, like wantons and dumplings; Mexican food like burritos; steamed buns, and fish and chips. It’s all different and exciting,” says Chadwick.
The talented Danre van der Spuy, hailing from Amanzimtoti, provides live music under the stars, while marketgoers enjoy the food and shopping. Chadwick has planned a Christmas Night Market on December 15th with extended times from 16:00 until 22:00.
Date: First Friday of each month, 17:00 until 21:00
Venue: Jimmy Bellows Sports Field, 5 Link Road, Westville
For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
