Graphite Road Park was filled with residents on Saturday, August 1, as the Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch (RNW) hosted its first Boeremark, drawing strong support from the local community.

According to RNW chairperson Andreas Öberlechner, the market exceeded expectations, with an enthusiastic response from both vendors and visitors.

“I have to thank our members for their exceptional dedication and hard work to make a success of this event.

“It was a day full of fun and community spirit, which was exactly what we’d intended.”

Organiser Stephan Marais-Swart said he was amazed by the level of community support.

“It was a massive success,” he said.

“We had 105 vendors who all reported brisk business, with some even having to restock during the day after selling out.

“I estimate that we welcomed about 4 000 people on the day.

“We could not have asked for better.

“Feedback from both vendors and marketgoers has been overwhelmingly positive and we are absolutely grateful.”

Although the market officially closed at 14:00, many vendors remained open later to accommodate the large crowds who were still enjoying the event.

“This was the first of many to come,” said Marais-Swart, adding that the RNW hopes to make the Boeremark a monthly event.