Deans Marsh: Markets, Art and Cycling

Deans Marsh brings together event dates, market offerings, art and cycling. If you are looking for a hotel in Deans Marsh, it helps to first decide what is bringing you there: an event visit is tied to a specific date, while cycling or an interest in art and regional produce shapes your choice of theme. For date-specific offerings, check the dates for your planned stay.

Events and markets

The Deans Marsh Festival is an annual celebration of the Deans Marsh community and the surrounding district. It has been held in late March each year since 1994. The Deans Marsh Sheep Dog Trials have a different recurring date: since 2010, they have been held in Deans Marsh on the third weekend of January. The two event highlights therefore fall at different points in the calendar; exact dates may change. If you are planning your trip around either event, check the date for the relevant year.

The Dog Trials program also includes a Sunday market at Deans Marsh Memorial Reserve and in its car park. The Deans Marsh Market brings together produce from local producers, artists and growers. Its offerings include art, crafts, food and wine. Stalls and products may vary from one market to the next, so the specific market date may also be relevant to your choices.

Art, history and arboretum

SPARK! is a collective of artists from Deans Marsh and the surrounding area. The collective regularly holds exhibitions in the “Footy Shed” on the grounds of Deans Marsh Memorial Reserve. If you are planning a visit around an exhibition, check in advance which exhibition is currently on display.

Deans Marsh Uniting Church is of local significance for its historical, social and architectural values. This assessment comes from a 2003 heritage assessment, amended in 2005. Frogwood Arboretum is located on a 40-hectare site in Deans Marsh. The topics therefore range from the significance of a local church building to the size of an arboretum site.

Cycling and planning your stay

Deans Marsh serves as a starting point, a refreshment stop and a destination for road and gravel cycling tours. These different roles can be distinguished when planning: the town can be at the beginning or end of a tour, or serve as a stop along the way. Individual routes and conditions may change; check them before your ride.

The Store Deans Marsh is a tea room, grocery store, delicatessen, café and cake shop. Cyclists who visit can enjoy tasty food and good coffee there. The Store also supports local artisans and their products; specific products may vary. Deans Marsh also provides access to Great Otway National Park. Check access conditions before your visit.

For the broader travel overview: Surf Coast Shire.