Vintage Market Days

In mid-November, 2019, I accompanied my sister, Lori, an artist and craftsman, to both North Carolina and South Carolina to participate in two Vintage Market Days shows over a two week time period. These locations included Vintage Market Days of the N.C. Triangle in Raleigh, North Carolina November 15-17, 2019 and Vintage Market Days Columbia Metro in Columbia, South Carolina November 22-24, 2019. Vintage Market Days ® is an upscale, vintage-inspired, indoor/outdoor market featuring original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade treasures, home décor, outdoor furnishings, seasonal food items, indoor plants and more.

Each piece of Lori’s artwork is hand-painted and disstressed to feel the comfort of yesteryear and made in the USA. Our mother, Sonia Henninger Smith, is an artist too and over the years has painted, drawn, arranged flowers and created handmade bread dough Christmas ornaments. When we were both younger, we would help our mother at Arts and Crafts Fairs throughout Central Arkansas. I have fond memories of helping our mother with her booth, taking money and making change, talking to customers, walking through the tents and visiting people at the other booths, filled with handmade Halloween and Christmas decorations, homemade candles, furniture and candy.

Following a two day drive through many states, including a sudden snow and ice storm in Tennessee, we arrived at our first location, Raleigh, North Carolina. The Market is a three day event in varying communities throughout the country. Each Vintage Market Days event is a unique opportunity for selected vendors to display their talents and passions. The Market in Raleigh was held at the N.C. State Fairgrounds and also featured live music and great food, along with Santa Claus! The tickets for the N.C. Triangle Market Days could be bought online as a 3-Day Pass or purchased at the gate on the day of entry. We arrived a few days before the first day to allow Lori time to unload her truck and trailer of her product, set up her booth and organize her metal initials and phrases. This show also had a Preview Night for Influencers & Bloggers on Thursday, November 14 to allow Social Media Writers to visit the booths to talk to the vendors and take photos.

Some of the highlights of this Vintage Markets Day Show in Raleigh included watching Country Singer Julia Rose @missjrrose on Twitter & Instagram perform Christmas songs while playing her guitar and standing in the bed of an antique truck, meeting Santa Claus and visiting with the other vendors at the Vintage Market Days of the N.C. Triangle in Raleigh.

 

 

After we finished the three day show in Raleigh, we started the drive to Columbia, South Carolina. Because we had a few extra days before the next show started, Lori surprised me with a “Mini Beach Vacation” in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Lori found a wonderful hotel right on the beach complete with an indoor pool and hot tub.

 

After a few wonderful days in Myrtle Beach, we headed to Columbia, South Carolina for the second show. There were many great vendors at this show, so I included photos of some of their work.

Handmade Cheese Trays By Going Green Lanterns

Flo at “WE CHIC’D IT!” features: Furniture Painting; Upcycled Builds; Furniture Repair; DIY Classes; Furniture Restoration; In-Home Parties and Monthly Arts & Crafts Kits. For more information, contact 1-980-458-2442.

 

Puppies for Foster! Fostering Foster is a volunteer-led, non-profit organization that has saved more than 1,200 dogs since 2012. This organization rescues dogs out of local animal shelters and transport them to partner organizations in New York and Vermont where they are quickly adopted. They rely on foster homes to care for these dogs during the short time between leaving the animal shelters and going up north.For more information, see their website at WWW.FOSTERINGFOSTER.COM.

 

 

Brian Swinford, bs*******@gm***.com, offered his amazing original artwork and handmade maps in his booth.

 

 

Upcoming Vintage Market Days

Vintage Market Days of Little Rock – March 27-March 29, 2020, Arkansas State Fairgrounds

Vintage Market Days of Columbia Metro – June 19-June 21, 2020, The SC State Fairgrounds

Vintage Market Days – Upcoming Events

Happy Shopping!

 

Photos by Leslie Dianne