Organiser Kerry Lee said she received the go-ahead on Wednesday morning after speaking to Business Victoria and confirming a COVID Safe plan for the event.

"We were unsure whether we were classified as a market or an event but we can go ahead as a market," she said. "Until Wednesday morning, we thought we couldn't have the markets.

"Now we're launching on Sunday and will run for three Sundays in the lead-up to Christmas. We'll have all the usual stores; arts and crafts, handmade gifts and food and drinks."

Sunday's market will host 40 stallholders with the final two markets already sold out for store places.

This year marks the 21^st year Mrs Lee and her co-organiser Dianne Brown have organised the Christmas markets. However like most things in 2020, it will be a different event to usual.

"We will have QR Codes if people wish to sign in, hand sanitising stations and everything will be really spaced out. At this stage there's no live music just given the difficulties with people standing around.

"It will be a different Christmas Market for us but we're just so excited because we really wanted it to happen."

The Christmas Markets will run on December 6, 13 and 20 at the Civic Green from 9am-1pm.

READ MORE: The Standard's 'What's On Guide' is back! Let us know about your gig, exhibition or market

From January 8, the Summer Night Markets will launch for three weeks at Lake Pertobe.

"We've been organising the markets since 1991 and it was only a year or two down when we were asked by Warrnambool City Council to do the night markets and it's just gone from strength to strength," Mrs Lee said.

"It's got such a broad demographic of people there, we just love them. There's families and a lot of the younger demographics get down and my mum who's 88 also wanders around."

The Summer Night Markets will be spread out across the majority of Lake Pertobe to ensure COVID Safe measures are upheld.

Mrs Lee said the markets would have a distinct south-west flavour as many stallholders weren't travelling amid the pandemic.

"It's sad the other stalls can't come and join us but I think it will still be great, we're excited to show off the south-west," she said.

"We're allowed to have the food van down there but there will be no table and chairs so we're encouraging people to bring along picnic rugs.

"We've got every finger and toe crossed we'll be able to have live music. We're hoping there will be further easing of restrictions by January."

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