Long before Durbanville became known for its wine route, it had this: a craft market that’s been running for over thirty years, tucked into the grounds of the Durbanville Presbyterian Church, a short drive from Ruslamere Hotel and Conference Centre. Once a year, that market puts on its biggest evening of the year; the Durbanville Charity Night Market. And this year it falls on Friday, 4 December 2026, following the market’s long-standing tradition of the first Friday night in December.
A market with history
The Durbanville Charity Night Market is, by most local accounts, the oldest craft market in Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs. Every first Saturday of the month (July excepted), the church grounds fill with stalls of handmade goods. The market’s rule is strict on this point, with only items made and sold by the person who made them are permitted a table. It’s a small, community-rooted market rather than a curated tourist stop, which is part of what’s kept it going for three decades.
Once a year, that same market extends into the evening for its Night Market: stalls stay open later, the atmosphere shifts toward festive, and the proceeds go directly to a handful of local charities the church has long supported. Past editions have included live entertainment and martial arts demonstrations alongside the usual stalls of crafts, food, and books.
Why it’s worth marking on the calendar early
Early December in Durbanville tends to fill up fast, between end-of-year functions, wine estate festive events, and the general rush before the holidays properly begin. A market that only runs one evening a year, with free entry and a genuinely local, decades-old character, is easy to miss if it’s not planned ahead of time.
For anyone staying at Ruslamere over the first weekend of December, it’s a low-key, walkable-distance addition to a stay that might otherwise be built entirely around the wine valley. This is a chance to pick up handmade gifts, support a set of local charities, and see a side of Durbanville that’s been there far longer than most of its newer attractions.
Visit Ruslamere to book your stay now.
