‘Sacramento needs this’: Antique Faire is back in business, but at a new temporary home
Forced out of its old location in midtown, the Sacramento Antique Faire is back, but at a more northern home.
Following coronavirus-induced disruptions last year, the monthly fair was able to return to its location near 21st and X streets in February and March, but like the Certified Farmers Market — which is now held at the Arden Fair Mall — the Antique Faire was forced to temporarily move due to construction on Highway 50.
The fair, which boasts 300 vendors, now enjoys expansive parking in the empty lots outside of Sleep Train Arena. After a failed attempt to secure a spot at the Department of Motor Vehicles on Broadway, the fair is back in action and will be appearing, for now, every second Sunday of the month at the Sacramento Kings’ former home.
It’s a location that sibling clothing vendors Phillis and Kenneth Dunn of Second Heritage Vintage say comes with a fair bit of nostalgia for the Sacramento locals — and the parking doesn’t hurt either.
“It seems like everybody is adjusting very well,” Phillis Dunn said. “I dig it.”
The vintage streetwear vendors said it was their first time selling at the Sacramento Antique Faire, but Phillis said she’s been shopping at it since she was a teenager.
“It’s going to be even better when we’re back downtown, because of course it’s by the hub of everybody, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all,” she said.
The new location can’t be too bad since it’s already drawing in new potential customers like Yamile and Bren Glenn.
The married couple said that even though they used to live in the midtown area, and often drove past the fair, the crowded scene just wasn’t appealing to them. The prospect of finding a parking spot in midtown and hauling their purchases over to their car was enough to pass on by instead of stopping in.
The Glenns, who now live in the Natomas area, were driving by and decided to check it out on a whim.
“We were like five minutes away from the old location and we never bothered because the parking was horrible,” Yamile said. “More convenient (now) for sure.”
Holly Myers, who owns two antique stores in Willows and has been shopping at the Sacramento Antique Faire on and off for about 13 years, approves of the new location.
“One thing I really didn’t like was parking and loading,” Myers said. “You just felt rushed.”
Mike Shaneyfelt, a three-year veteran of the Sacramento Antique Faire who sells comics, records and other vintage collectibles, said a lot of vendors rely on the fair for their income. But several others have two, three or more revenue streams, selling at other locations or working other jobs.
He falls into the latter category, running a vintage bicycle shop as well, but still was happy to see customers coming back.
“I knew that people would still come because (fair owner and organizer) Marilyn (Rose) is really good about getting the word out,” Shaneyfelt said. “Sacramento needs this ... people were upset when this closed up.”
Compared to the old location in midtown, he said that the problem of parking limited customers.
“You can only get so many people in there,” he said.
Tim Dutro has been selling an array of antiques at the fair for more than 10 years. Like Shaneyfelt, he’s got other ways of making cash. He sometimes sells at Denio’s in Roseville and runs an eBay store as well.
“The turnout’s been really good,” Dutro said. “I think it’s been a win-win for everyone.”
For a full-time antique seller, not having the fair around during April and May disrupted his business.
Dutro said “it was a hit,” one that forced him to pare down the amount of antiques he was buying and bide some time with the help of savings until the fair came back around.
Despite some minor confusion on the first Sunday at the new spot — the sprawling Sleep Train Arena campus can be difficult to navigate for the uninitiated — Dutro has high hopes for the fair’s future at the new location.
Clothing seller Marcy Wintermute of Violet Blue Vintage isn’t so sure. She also sells at Bliss Marketplace in midtown, but a single day at the Sacramento Antique Faire can generate more revenue for her than an entire month there, so seeing how crowds respond at Sleep Train Arena will prove vital to her business.