Arts, Dining & Entertainment, Events & Activities

Vintage Market Days returns to the Vermont State Fairgrounds

April 29 – May 1 — RUTLAND — The enormously popular Vintage Market Days will return to the Vermont State Fairgrounds April 29 – May 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last spring, the event drew over 9,000 people in three days. Vendors from across the country will display a wide variety of vintage goods, from housewares and jewelry to repurposed and handmade items.

Submitted
The Vintage Market comes to the fairgrounds this weekend.

Amanda and Jared Wilkinson have been the masterminds behind this event. The idea for the event stems from Amanda’s visits to Vermont every fall.

“We started coming up here when I was a kid and as I grew older it turned into a girl’s trip,” said Wilkinson. Her family still comes up every year, but she explained, “now, it’s a working vacation.”

Wilkinson hails from a small town of about 3,000 people named Locust Grove, in Oklahoma. She grew up around antiques and vintage goods.

“My whole life my family has been around antiques. My grandma had an antique store and my uncle was an auctioneer. I started as a vendor at fairs and when I saw the opportunity to buy into Vintage Market Days, I took it.”

Wilkinson went all over the state looking for a location, but she says nobody treated her as well as the people in Rutland.

“People were so nice and bent over backwards to help make this happen. We tried a show in Burlington and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. People in Rutland have been great to work with.”

The three-day Vintage Market Days event draws people from all over New England and beyond to Rutland.

“While our main demographic is women from 25 – 60, we get lots of men and kids too. Couples come shopping for items for their new homes and many people come shopping for gifts. There are lots of great wedding gifts too.”

While there’s no clear definition for what “vintage” is or isn’t, the market features a variety of antiques, jewelry, art, repurposed items, clothing, home decor and curiosities. There’s also a food court, cotton candy and other food items. There’s even live music.

Wilkinson is excited for what will be their fifth year in Rutland. “We’re still new and growing. I can’t wait to see where we’ll be in another five years.”

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