Things To Do This Weekend in Collingwood — Your March 2026 Guide

Collingwood doesn’t do lazy weekends. While the rest of Melbourne sleeps in and orders Uber Eats, Smith Street is already humming by 8am — coffee machines firing, vintage store doors rolling up, and the inevitable Saturday morning queue forming at whichever new spot has captured the suburb’s attention this month. If you’re based in Collingwood (or within a 15-minute tram ride and looking for something better to do), here’s how to spend your weekend without repeating yourself.

Last updated: 16 March 2026 | Collingwood Vibe Score: 87/100 🟢

Start With Coffee — But Make It an Experience

Collingwood is to Melbourne coffee what Nashville is to country music: the place where it actually happens, not just where people talk about it.

Proud Mary (172 Oxford Street) remains the gold standard for weekend brunch. Founded in 2009 by Nolan and Shari Hirte, this warehouse cafe is where Melbourne’s third-wave coffee obsession basically crystallised. On weekends, expect a 15-20 minute wait — but the outdoor seating area makes it tolerable, and the bottomless drip coffee ($6.50 for unlimited refills) means you won’t feel ripped off while you wait. The Full Mexican ($24) with house-made chorizo and a fried egg is the move if you’re hungry. If you’re not, the smash avo ($19) does the job without insulting your intelligence.

Hours: Mon–Fri 7am–3pm, Sat–Sun 8am–3pm

For something with less of a following (read: shorter queue), Aunty Peg’s (200 Wellington Street) is Proud Mary’s cooler, quieter sibling. Same incredible coffee — they share the same roastery — but served in a two-storey space that doubles as an events venue and barista training school. On Saturdays, the bakery case is stacked with pastries from an in-house baker, and there’s almost always a seat available. The single-origin pour-over ($7) is the kind of coffee that ruins you for everything else.

Insider tip: If you walk up Wellington Street past Aunty Peg’s toward Smith Street, you’ll hit Terror Twilight (11-13 Johnston Street) — a health-focused cafe doing some of the best wholesome bowls in the inner north. The bone broth bowl ($18) is exactly what you need after a big Friday night.

Mid-Morning: Wander, Browse, Pretend You’re Not Shopping

Collingwood’s weekend culture is built on the art of the “casual browse” — which is code for spending $200 on vinyl, candles, and a jacket you didn’t know you needed.

Smith Street — The Main Event

Smith Street between Johnston and Gertrude is the beating heart. On any given Saturday, you’ll find:

• Vintage and independent fashion — the stretch between Johnston and Hoddle is wall-to-wall op shops, vintage stores, and small designers. The quality varies wildly, but that’s the fun. Budget an hour and $100 if you’ve got the itch.
• Vinyl and bookshops — Polyester Records (313 Smith Street) is a Melbourne institution for vinyl heads. Open weekends with a deeper crate than you’d expect for a suburban shop. Across the road, Polyester Books stocks zines, indie mags, and the kind of counterculture printed matter that Melbourne does better than anywhere else in Australia.
• Hi Fi Collingwood (316 Smith Street) — opened in early 2025 by the Terror Twilight and Tinker crew. It’s a sandwich shop, coffee bar, and record store hybrid. Chef-made sandwiches (mostly $14–$18), proper espresso, and a curated vinyl selection. The Saturday morning vibes here are immaculate — grab a sando, flip some records, pretend you’re in Brooklyn.

Johnston Street to Victoria Park

If you want to escape the Smith Street crowd, walk east toward Johnston Street. The vibe shifts — more residential, more industrial, more “I live here and I’m walking my dog” than “I’m here to be seen.” The bonus: less competition for tables and seats.

Afternoon Adventures

Feed the Head at Collingwood Trading Co or the Abbotsford Convent

Collingwood’s proximity to Abbotsford means you can walk to the Abbotsford Convent (1 St Heliers Street) in about 15 minutes — and you absolutely should on a weekend. The Convent is one of Melbourne’s most underrated cultural spaces: a sprawling former convent turned arts hub with galleries, artist studios, a bakery, a cafe, and massive gardens that back onto the Yarra River. On weekends, there’s usually a market, exhibition, or workshop running. The garden alone is worth the walk — pack a blanket and a thermos if you’re feeling romantic, or just need a quiet spot to read.

Getting there: Walk south from Smith Street via Gertrude Street into Abbotsford. About 15 minutes on foot, or hop on the 12 bus from Hoddle Street.

Hit the Collingwood Children’s Farm (Yes, Really)

Ten minutes further past the Convent, the Collingwood Children’s Farm (70 St Heliers Street) is the best $15 adults will spend all weekend. Open daily from 9am–5pm, it’s a working farm with goats, pigs, cows, chickens, and a cafe that overlooks the Yarra. Saturday mornings are best — there’s a farmers’ market on the second Saturday of each month that draws serious food people from across Melbourne. Even without the market, it’s a genuinely calming place to spend an hour, especially if you’ve been doing the Smith Street hustle all morning.

Get Active Along the Yarra

The Main Yarra Trail runs right through the area. You can walk, run, or ride from Collingwood all the way to the CBD (about 45 minutes on foot) or east toward Heidelberg. The section between the Convent and Dights Falls is particularly gorgeous in March — the trees are still green, the air’s cooling down, and you’ll mostly have it to yourself.

Evening: Where Collingwood Comes Alive

Dinner and Drinks on Smith Street

Collingwood’s dinner scene punches well above its weight for a suburb this size. A few weekend-tested options:

Le Bon Ton (51 Gipps Street) — a New Orleans-inspired smokehouse and cocktail bar that feels like you’ve walked into a Southern Gothic film set. Exposed brick, copper accents, dripping candles, and a beer garden that goes until 1am on weekends. The smoked brisket ($32) is the real deal, and the cocktail list leans heavily on bourbon and absinthe. Open Tuesday to Sunday from midday (5pm Monday), with the kitchen running late on Friday and Saturday. This is the kind of place where you plan for one drink and end up ordering your fourth Old Fashioned at midnight.

Molly Rose Brewing (279 Wellington Street) — a craft brewery in a narrow warehouse that won Best Brewery Bar at the Australian Bartenders Awards in 2024. The beer is genuinely excellent — they do everything from crisp lagers to hazy IPAs — and the food menu has a Chef’s Table that elevates it well beyond typical brewery fare. Best for groups or couples who appreciate good beer without the bro energy. The outdoor area is small but charming.

Alimentari (Smith Street) — a European-style delicatessen and cafe that transitions beautifully into the evening. Grab a board of cured meats, pickled vegetables, and a glass of natural wine for something low-key and satisfying. Perfect for a first date or a catch-up where you want to talk without shouting.

If You Want Late Night

Collingwood’s late-night scene is more low-key than Fitzroy’s — fewer crowded clubs, more bars where you can actually hear yourself think. Le Bon Ton goes late on weekends. The Smith Street strip has a handful of smaller bars that stay open past midnight. For something different, the 86 tram runs down Smith Street until around 1am on weekends — hop on and ride it south to the CBD if you want to continue the night elsewhere.

Getting home safe: The 86 tram is your best bet for late-night transport. The 24-hour Night Bus (route 964) runs along Smith Street in the early hours. Uber and Didi pickups are plentiful around the Johnston/Smith intersection. If you’re walking, Smith Street is well-lit and busy until late on weekends — the quieter streets north of Johnston are where you want to be a bit more switched on.

What We Skipped and Why

• Team sports at Victoria Park — Collingwood AFL training sessions sometimes run on weekends, but unless you’re a Pies fan (and if you live in Collingwood, there’s a decent chance you are), it’s not really a “things to do” activity. The ground itself is worth a look for the history, but it’s more of a walk-by than a destination.
• Factory outlet shopping — Collingwood has some warehouse sales and factory outlets, but they’re inconsistent and often appointment-only on weekends. Not worth building a weekend around.
• The Saturday morning farmers’ market at the Children’s Farm — We actually love it, but it only runs on the second Saturday of each month, so we’ve listed it above rather than guaranteeing it for every weekend.

The Bottom Line

Collingwood in March 2026 is a suburb that knows exactly what it is: caffeinated, creative, a little bit scruffy, and permanently under renovation. The weekend rhythm here is coffee, browse, eat, drink — repeat. You don’t need a plan so much as a starting point, and anywhere on Smith Street between 8am and 2am on a Saturday will do.

Your Collingwood Vibe Score this week: 87/100 — autumn warmth without the summer crowds.

Spotted something new we missed? Drop us a tip. → Related reads: Best Cheap Eats in Collingwood | Date Night in Collingwood | New Openings in Collingwood → Nearby suburbs: What to Do This Weekend in Fitzroy | Abbotsford Guide | Richmond Weekend Guide

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Widget: Vibe Score | Collingwood this week: 87/100 🟢 | See full ranking → Widget: Tonight’s Picks | What’s on in Collingwood tonight → Widget: This Weekend | Saturday & Sunday picks across Melbourne → Widget: Rate Your Suburb | How’s Collingwood feeling this week? Rate it →

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