By the end of August, Joburg winter is beginning to loosen its grip.

The evenings are still cool, but sitting outside with something hot to eat starts sounding considerably more appealing than it did a month ago.

And on Friday, 28 August, two very different night markets are worth knowing about.

One gives you a rooftop above Fourways. The other gives you more than 100 stalls under the lights in Alberton.

Here's how to choose.

For a Rooftop Friday Night: Fourways

You don't normally drive to Level 7 of a shopping centre parking garage for dinner.

On the last Friday of the month, that's exactly where you're headed.

The Fourways Mall Night Market takes over the Level 7 rooftop parking, with food and dessert stalls, crafts, live entertainment and activities for children.

And because you're on the roof, it feels rather different from another evening wandering around inside a mall.

Why go? It's an easy option when you want a Friday night out without committing to a restaurant. Eat from different stalls, browse a little, listen to the entertainment and leave when you've had enough.

Another useful detail: Fourways Mall offers free parking after 17:00 on weekdays.

Before You Go

• When: Friday, 28 August
• Time: 16:00 to 22:00
• Where: Fourways Mall, Level 7 rooftop parking
• Access: Engen ramp off Winnie Mandela Drive
• Entry: R20
• Children under 12: Free
• Parking after 17:00: Free

For Families and Serious Browsing: Newmarket

If your idea of a market involves wandering until you find something you didn't know you wanted, this is probably the stronger choice.

Town Square at Newmarket in Alberton is bringing back its night market with more than 100 stalls.

The current programme includes gourmet food trucks, craft vendors, drinks, live music and DJs. Children have their own distractions too, including face painting, balloon artists and ceramic painting.

The setting is part of the appeal. The market runs through the centre's cobbled-style outdoor area under fairy-light installations rather than inside a conventional market hall.

Why go? You have more to browse, children have things to do, and entry is free. There are also restaurants around the centre if the market food doesn't settle the family debate about dinner.

Before You Go

• When: Friday, 28 August
• Time: 16:00–21:00
• Where: Town Square at Newmarket, Newmarket Park, Alberton
• Stalls: More than 100 advertised
• Entry: Free

So Which One?

This is the useful bit.

Choose Fourways if you want a casual Friday night with food, entertainment and the novelty of being up on the rooftop.

Choose Newmarket if you want more stalls to browse, plenty for children to do and no entrance fee.

Both happen on the same evening, so you don't need another long list of markets to work through.

You need to decide which side of town you're willing to face on a Friday afternoon.

The Bottom Line

A good night market solves a surprisingly common Friday problem: you want to go somewhere, but you don't necessarily want another sit-down dinner.

On 28 August, you can eat what catches your eye, wander for a while, listen to some music and find something you weren't planning to buy.

Take a jacket. Go hungry. And choose the market closest to home.