Ettalong Markets celebrate 25 years

Ettalong Markets will celebrate 25 years of trading on the long weekend in June with three days of free entertainment in two separate entertainment areas.

Headlining the entertainment will be Carlotta supported by Klassic Black, TJ Ray and Kazza's Karaoke, performers from the Troubadour Folk Club and other local choirs and bands.

The markets commenced trading in June 1979 after proprietor Jerry Altavilla had purchased what was then an established haberdashery outlet on the site and converted it to a multi-retailer facility.

He later purchased the ice works next door and two houses, Harriet and Eidelweiss.

"There was no market on the Peninsula so I thought it would be good to open something different for residents and tourists," Jerry said.

All of the present buildings have been constructed since 1979.

In 1983, Mr Altavilla borrowed funds to add a 34-room motel and a reception centre to hold 130 guests to the site.

This was followed by a further investment of $2 million to build a twin cinema as part of the complex, making the total investment to date over $5 million.

"Because the area lacks a large anchor retailer, such as a major supermarket or discount chain retailer, it has always struggled to trade during the week and has therefore concentrated on weekend trading," Mr Altavilla said.

"I have had to try and vary the retailers to find a mix that will be successful and at the same time added the motel, reception centre, cinema and eight restaurants, all trading throughout the week as well as the weekend, to make it all viable," he said.

The complex boasts a cosmopolitan collection of restaurants serving Indian, Chinese, Italian, Hong Kong, Japanese and Australian food as well as a pizzeria, a cafe, seafood, kebabs, crepes and take-away food outlets.

"I have always seen Ettalong as a potential boom town with its quaint appeal, closeness to the mountains and the sea, and its flat land making it ideal for tourists of all ages," he said.

"I see the Central Coast as having three main tourist centres: The Entrance, Terrigal and Ettalong Beach.

"The trouble is that I don't think that Central Coast Tourism are doing a very good job," he said.

"They are too expensive to join for what you get back and what they do seems to be concentrated elsewhere.

"It would be better if the Coast was split into zones and any funding received by Central Coast Tourism be split up to go to each zone with a representative appointed to promote that zone under the Central Coast Tourism banner.

"When anyone arrives on the Peninsula, by road or sea, there is no welcome, no feeling of arriving at a tourist resort," he said.

"The ferry wharf at Ettalong was recently widened and a ramp installed for the disabled, but apart from that, there is no welcome sign, tourist map, not even a shelter.

"People are just dumped there and left to their own devices and parking around the wharf is particularly bad."

"I would like to thank the locals and the traders for their support throughout the years," Jerry said.

"One of them, Jo's Carpets, has been with us since we opened.

"Darren Phelps and Uni's Kebabs have both been with us for over 20 years.

"We are keen to add a car boot sale, trash and treasure market to the complex trading Saturday and Sunday and would welcome inquiries from stall holders for either one or both days.

"There is nothing like it on a weekly basis on the Peninsula and it would add further atmosphere and variety to the markets," Mr Altavilla said.

Cec Bucello, May 28