Vintage Fest is a secondhand traveling marketplace that typically consists of small business vendors.
Sarah Mehret says the festival helps both the vendors and shoppers, “With over 60 vendors at each event, Illinois Vintage Fest creates a safe space for small businesses to grow, while also encouraging shoppers to choose sustainable fashion.”
Vintage Fest Founder Shayne Kelly shares how he hopes the festival will help businesses, “I know how it is especially with rent, and bills and stuff like that, it’s not cheap. It’s very hard to get started, to own your own brick and mortar store. This gives people the opportunity to do that without the overhead costs. Only the costs to participate in the market, which we kind of pool together and use for everyone’s benefit.”
The festival has been traveling through the state hosting events since 2020.
Vintage Fest has expanded across four new states with each market unique to the other.
Each vendor is picked by the Vintage Fest team to cater to the location and give a different experience to each marketplace.
Jade Harris shares how each marketplace gives new feeling for the shoppers, “I love that it’s unique and you’ll know like you’ll go somewhere and nobody is gonna have that.”
Vintage Fest is on a college tour with their next stop in Urbana on Saturday.