Looking to update your wardrobe ahead of the changing seasons but don’t enjoy spending hours in a shopping mall or contributing to fast fashion?
Well, the Grateful Flea market has you covered.
This Saturday, Aug. 31 at Howe Sound Brewing, the Grateful Gift Shop is hosting their sixth vintage and antique market with vendors hailing from across the province.
"We have tons of markets in Squamish, and this one specifically tries to highlight vintage and second-hand,” Grateful Gift Shop owner Laura Di Cecco told The Squamish Chief.
“We work with vendors from almost all around the province, like the Lower Mainland and [Vancouver] island, to give Squamish an opportunity to shop because it's a bit slim pickings around here.”
Di Cecco said they try to put on the event twice a year, once in the late winter and in the early fall, because they are “good transition times to check out your wardrobe and see what you need.”
“I feel like folks are really putting value on sustainability, and there's so many clothes out there, so why buy new when we can buy second hand,” she said.
“There are so many people who are so great at curating vintage and secondhand and putting in the hard work to curate it for us … so we like to give them a platform to sell their stuff.
“I also feel like vintage is also having its time right now, so why not lean into it?”
As someone who has been thrifting for most of her life, Di Cecco says a green shearling jacket found at a previous Grateful Flea has become one of her most prized possessions.
“What's fun about vintage and secondhand is that every piece that you find is like a little treasure. It's unique, and not everyone else is going to have it. So, it really allows you to lean into your personal style,” she said.
“I found this forest green, 1970s shearling jacket and I covet that jacket. There's not really a good time to wear it in Squamish because it gets warm, and then it just rains, but I love it and that is one piece I will never get rid of.”
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has a $4 entry fee. There will be food and drinks for sale as well as music from Sam Tuff throughout the day.
Di Cecco said she was incredibly grateful to the Squamish community for their support.
“I think the last market we had, there were over 500 people that came, which is pretty crazy,” she said.
“The community here is so lovely and is always so willing to support events like these. I'm really proud of what we've done, and we're hoping to keep doing them for as long as we can.
For more information on the event, visit the Grateful Gift Shop social media
