From Flea to Shining Flea

Words by SHELBY DEERING & RAVEN MCMILLAN Illustrations by LIZZIE SWIFT

You don’t have to travel far to score epic vintage furniture. In fact, the most iconic places to shop silver and stock up on woven baskets—plus where Kelly Wearstler goes on a wild, wild western pilgrimage twice a year—all just so happen to be in the great U.S. of A. We road-tripped the nation to find the 50 best antiques markets in every state (and D.C., too!) and asked our designer friends for the smartest ways to navigate them.

Flea

Photography by Christopher Arndt / Getty Images

Worth the Trip: Wisconsin

When the Walworth County Fairgrounds isn’t filled with corndogs and carousels, the 100-acre plot of land is host to the the biggest flea in the state. In May, June, August, and September, more than 500 vendors are in town, and you can expect to meet everyone from seasoned dealers to tailgating traders.

The Full List:

Photography by Jim Feliciano / Getty Images

Worth the Trip: CALIFORNIA

Every second Sunday of the month is game day at the Rose Bowl—not for sports fans but for bargain hunters, designers, and collectors of curiosities in search of their next big win. More than 2,500 vendors head to the historic stadium, where everything from furnishings to vinyl to crafts is up for grabs.

Worth the Trip: MassaChusetts

Touting itself as America’s oldest outdoor flea market, Brimfield has attracted thousands of collectors from across the country for more than 50 years. The six-day showcase takes place in waves, with one in May, July, and September. Each iteration has its perks—spring owns the freshest finds; summer sees fewer crowds; and fall is for the best end-of-season deals.

Photography by Aimin Tang / Getty Images

Worth the Trip: TEXAS

Somewhere between Austin and Houston, there’s a tiny town with a population of 90—until one week every spring and fall, when more than 100,000 vintage enthusiasts (including designers like Kelly Wearstler) arrive for the biannual treasure hunt. From European collectibles to garage sale bric-a-brac, “showrooms” stretch across 11 miles and 80 venues, making this an event of epic proportions. It is Texas, after all.

insider tip from

Where to Eat

02/02

With locations in Delavan and Lake Geneva (both less than 20 minutes from Elkhorn), Boxed and Burlap is the place to get caffeinated before hitting the market. The husband-and-wife owners prioritize craftsmanship in their brews, baked goods (like you-won’t-believe-they’re-gluten-free “granola” cookies), and venues. For lunch or dinner, Oakfire’s lakeside perch serves up—what else?—beer-battered Wisconsin cheese curds.

“Arrive at 2 p.m., right as they are closing up shop—you can find folks willing to sell at a bigger discount, especially for large items they don’t want to haul back home."

Where to Stay

Where to Shop

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

01/02

Just northeast of Elkhorn, there’s a sweet town square in East Troy where you can grab the new Emma Straub and settle in near the flickering fireplace and classic library ladder.

Having had past lives as a hotel, speakeasy, and church retreat over the past 100 years, this rustic getaway is a vintage lover’s paradise. Today it’s a stylish homage to summer camps, with cabins, tents, and a treehouse(!) decked out in flea market procurements.

Photography by Faina Gurevich / Getty Images

From Flea

Antique silver pieces with patina.

Kane County Flea Market, St. Charles

Illinois

March through December

When:

What to buy:

Reclaimed furniture like worktables and old windows.

What to buy:

Tuesday and Wednesday, May through September

When:

Shipshewana Auction & Flea Market, Shipshewana

Indiana

Boho basics including rattan picnic baskets and handwoven throws.

What to buy:

May and September

When:

Good Makers Market, Tipton

Iowa

Mid-century electric fans.

What to buy:

Saturday and Sunday, once every month

When:

Wichita Flea Market, Wichita

Kansas

Amber glass and quirky wall art.

What to buy:

May through October

When:

Vintage in the Zoo, Kalamazoo

Michigan

Light-up store signs and old-school felt pennants.

What to buy:

April and September

When:

Junk Bonanza, Shakopee

Minnesota

The best of mid-century, from Brutalist sculptures to Danish wood furniture.

What to buy:

First full weekend of every month

When:

Urban Mining Vintage Market, Kansas City

Missouri

Bygone globes and paint-chipped shutters.

What to buy:

April, May, September, and October

When:

Junkstock, Waterloo

Nebraska

Framed authentic concert posters.

What to buy:

First full weekend of every month (October through April)

When:

Benson’s Flea Market, Sioux Falls

South Dakota

$-$$

Buzzword glass pieces including jadeite and Wedgwood.

What to buy:

Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

When:

Hartville MarketPlace & Flea Market, Hartville

Ohio

$$$

Brass vases, either plain or etched with designs and usually sized at less than 10 inches—they’re just the thing for fresh-picked buds.

What to buy:

June

When:

Rescued & Reclaimed, Dickinson

North Dakota

02/02

"Be prepared to wake up early and arrive at 5 a.m. on opening day, and don’t forget to put a flashlight in your bag."

insider tip from

Attached to a Greek Revival home, this 1800s-era barn has become a beloved haunt over the past 30 years. Flea-ers flock to the sunken bar for local brews and steaks, but the Black Cherry Crispy Duck is, of course, a favorite.

Where to Eat

01/02

Eighteenth-century charm meets modern must-haves (read: a spa, two restaurants, and lightning-fast Internet for posting your haul) at this 128-room lodge. Book early, as it’s one of the nicest options around, and since it’s only 15 minutes from the fields, it fills up fast.

Where to Stay

Married co-owners Gary and Ann Malone, who have been throwing clay since 1976, handcraft every piece, from decorative vases to functional cruets, out of stoneware, raku, or porcelain and finish them off with their own signature glaze.

Where to Shop

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Authentic Persian rugs—piles and piles of them.

What to buy:

Every Sunday

When:

Georgetown Flea Market

Washington, D.C.

$–$$$

Collectible glassware, such as Depression glass and blue-and- white chinoiserie.

What to buy:

Saturday and Sunday, mid-May through mid-October

When:

Wilmington Antique & Flea Market, Wilmington

Vermont

$–$$$

Offbeat wares including houseplants in vintage mugs and mid-century art.

What to buy:

October

When:

Little City Thrifty, Providence

Rhode Island

Vases, paintings, and other treasures reminiscent of a European market.

What to buy:

Every Saturday and Sunday

When:

Chelsea FLEA, New York

New York

Brass everything, from candlesticks to animal figurines.

What to buy:

Every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday

When:

Golden Nugget Flea Market, Lambertville

New Jersey

$–$$$

Oh-so-charming embroidered linens.

What to buy:

May and October

When:

Vintage Market on Squam Lake, Holderness

New Hampshire

Knoll Womb chairs and other mid-mod seating.

What to buy:

Every Friday and Saturday

When:

Portland Flea-for-All, Portland

Maine

Finds run the gamut, but we suggest crystal candy dishes and / wicker furniture.

What to buy:

Every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday

When:

Spence’s Bazaar, Dover

Delaware

$–$$

Shabby-chic furniture and glassware à la Rachel Ashwell.

What to buy:

April, June, and December

When:

The Vintage Market, Chester

Connecticut

The Full List:

$$–$$$

Farmhouse-inspired pieces like weathered wood crates.

What to buy:

April through June; September through October

When:

Clover Market, Various locations

02/03

“At Round Top, the vendors do not handle shipping, so you’ll want to connect with a shipper when you arrive—or better yet before you go. We have used Ace Exchange in the past and it was excellent!"

insider tip from

Fuel up at this part-café, part-gift shop where farm-fresh salads, hearty sandwiches, and refreshing tonics (we’ll take the lavender lemonade, please) are on the Garden Co. menu. For dessert, hoof it over to Local Roots for one of its “Famous Ding Dongs”—a homemade delicacy of which Matthew McConaughey is a fan.

Where to Eat

01/03

In the heart of all the vintage action there’s a new 14-room hotel that offers the ultimate respite after a day of antiquing. Think: cozy bungalows with country touches, canopy beds with luxurious linens, and a quirky cocktail bar with handpainted vignettes from floor to ceiling. There’s also a pool, formal garden, and rustic Italian restaurant on-site to rejuvenate weary shoppers.

Where to Stay

Southern roots and excursions across Asia have earned textile designer Courtney Barton a cult following for her East-meets-West collection of soft—really, really soft—goods. Cashmere bandanas and handmade Dohar blankets are the hottest commodities at her casita-style boutique.

Where to Shop

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

03/03

Every venue is at least 5 to 10 minutes apart, and Uber is hard to come by in these parts. Skip the big-name car-rental companies (they book up too fast) and opt for a peer-to-peer service like Turo.

What to bring

$–$$

Groovy ’60s scores—flower-power wall art and macramé plant hangers.

What to buy:

Second Saturday of every month

When:

Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market, Alexandria

Virginia

A primitive’s paradise, complete with original oil paintings and quilts.

What to buy:

February

When:

Jenkins + Co. The Nashville Show, Nashville

Tennessee

$–$$

Cheeky ’90s decor and vintage clothing.

What to buy:

April, with mini markets and pop-ups throughout the year

When:

Holy City Vintage Market, Charleston

South Carolina

Gas station signs and letters.

What to buy:

Every Saturday and Sunday

When:

The Raleigh Market, Raleigh

North Carolina

Galvanized metal buckets.

What to buy:

April and October

When:

Vintage Market Days of Mississippi, Jackson

Mississippi

$–$$

Records perfect for displaying (and spinning!), plus retro glassware.

What to buy:

Every Saturday starting in mid-April

When:

Bmore Flea Market, Baltimore

Maryland

Lots of embroidery, including hand-stitched art and pillows.

What to buy:

Dates vary

When:

Little Flea NOLA, New Orleans

Louisiana

$–$$$

Traditional vintage treasures like wood furniture and crystal chandeliers.

What to buy:

Second Thursday through Sunday of every month

When:

Scott Antique Markets, Atlanta

Georgia

Industrial pieces with rust in all the right places.

What to buy:

June, September, and October

When:

The Junk Ranch, Prairie Grove

Arkansas

$–$$

Vintage entertaining must-haves like 1950s cake stands and floral serveware.

What to buy:

March, April, May, October, November, and December

When:

5th Street Vintage Market, Northport

Alabama

The Full List:

Peacock chairs, velvet sofas, Acapulco seating, and other on-trend items.

What to buy:

Every Wednesday through Sunday

When:

Fleur de Flea Vintage Urban Market, Louisville

Kentucky

Furniture that spans eras—mid-century armchairs to 1970s rattan.

What to buy:

First full weekend of every month

When:

Vintage Marché, Saint Petersburg

Florida

Stamped pottery such as McCoy and Fiesta.

What to buy:

January through July

When:

Tulsa Flea Market, Tulsa

Oklahoma

Ornate silver candlesticks, colorful glassware, and leather-bound books.

What to buy:

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

When:

Capitol Flea Market, Charleston

West Virginia

Pennsylvania

02/02

“If you are going for a leisurely Sunday outing, get there at 9 a.m., when the admission price goes down to $8 and it’s early enough to score decent parking. If you want to be hard-core and get first dibs, go for the express (8–9 a.m.), early (7–8 a.m.), or VIP admission (5–7 a.m.). The earliest I’ve ever gotten there was 7, and it was awesome."

insider tip from

Transformed from a 1922 horse stable into an all-day eatery by the team at ORA, this eatery now houses a market, wine shop, bar, and patio, all meant to inspire togetherness over soul-nourishing food, drinks, and (naturally) cheese.

Where to Eat

01/02

After roughing it at the flea market, retire to one of the Langham’s luxury suites surrounded by rich textiles and handcrafted wood furniture—or better yet, treat yourself to some fluffy scones and a comforting cuppa during the hotel’s Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood.

Where to Stay

In an unassuming garage in South Pasadena, you might miss this trove of goodies if it weren’t for the bistro lights guiding your path. Follow the driveway and duck through the overhead door for a vintage nap dress, an epic rattan record rack, or a new collection of kitschy clip-on earrings.

Where to Shop

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Large-scale macramé art pieces.

What to buy:

Second Saturday of every month

When:

SODO Flea Market, Seattle

Washington

1950s lamps and retro lawn chairs.

What to buy:

Second Sunday of every month (except for May, when it’s on the first and third Sundays)

When:

Urban Flea Market, Salt Lake City

Utah

$–$$$

Carnival glass and those sought-after starburst clocks.

What to buy:

July

When:

Rose City Vintage Market, Portland

Oregon

Salvaged metal signs.

What to buy:

Open daily

When:

Family Indoor Flea Market, Albuquerque

New Mexico

Milk crates and lovingly worn typewriters.

What to buy:

March

When:

The Great Junk Hunt, Las Vegas

Nevada

Metal candelabra chandeliers.

What to buy:

July and November

When:

The Market Beautiful, Whitefish and Kalispell

Montana

Charming old suitcases and rattan plant stands.

What to buy:

Second Sunday of every month, April through October

When:

The Boise Flea, Boise

Idaho

Vintage surfing books.

What to buy:

Once a month

When:

Art + Flea ReUp Vintage & Secondhand Market, Honolulu

Hawaii

Colorful Pyrex and ’70s furniture.

What to buy:

May, June, July, August, September, November, and December

When:

Horseshoe Market, Denver; Rino; Littleton

Colorado

There’s a new theme each month—look for benches and elegant settees.

What to buy:

Third Thursday through Sunday of every month

When:

Sweet Salvage, Phoenix

Arizona

Vintage kitchen essentials including scales, rolling pins, and islands.

What to buy:

May

When:

Alaska Vintage Home Market & Food Truck Fest, Palmer

Alaska

The Full List:

$–$$$

Farmhouse-perfect enamelware.

What to buy:

July

When:

Little Red Truck Vintage Market, Cody

Wyoming

SUMMER 2022

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