Olde Towne Antique & Flea Market 20th Anniversary Celebration
Date: August 25, 2023 By: otba1400@gmail.com Category: Uncategorized
September 2 from 10 am – 2 pm
Middle Street Garage
441 Middle Street
Portsmouth, VA 23704
For our 20th Anniversary Celebration, the Olde Towne Business Association wants to thank the dedicated vendors who have faithfully set up their wares in all kinds of weather over the years. We are going to make this day special by having local musicians, strolling historical interpreters, and a drawing for prizes every hour for our guests. With over 75 vendors with an eclectic collection of unique and antique wares, you can shop for estate furniture, architectural salvage, china, silverware, art, sports gear, musical instruments, books and ephemera, hand-made crafts and toys, as well as decorative accessories and one-of-a-kind items.
Today, there are still 10 vendors who have been selling at the market since the first year it opened. One does admit “stopping for a few years, however, her husband kept buying stuff so they came back”! Several vendors will tell about a time the snow was blowing through the garage windows – but they still remember having a great day! One vendor moved her business, Precious Gems Antiques, to Hanover, PA which is 5 hours away. She still comes back almost every month to see her friends and family and sell at the flea market.
After a year of meetings with a committee of 16 members led by Yvonne Lerner and John Joyce, the Olde Towne Portsmouth Flea Market ribbon cutting was held on Saturday, September 6, 2003. Yvonne Lerner from Alden Antiques & Interiors had seen a PBS documentary on Flea Markets in America and thought Portsmouth would be a perfect location for a market. Committee member John Joyce who loved traveling visited and photographed flea markets in Rio de Janeiro, St. Petersburg Russia, Barcelona Spain, and Portland, Oregon to get ideas for the venture. Ms. Lerner also noted that Mayor Holley played a fundamental role in getting the flea market started.
Ms. Lerner had no way of knowing at the time, but her inspiration and diligence paid off all these years later. The Olde Towne Antique and Flea Market is the main funding source that allows the Olde Towne Business Association to sponsor wonderful events like our Holiday Tree Lighting & Open House every November.
We would like to thank the City of Portsmouth and the staff of the Portsmouth Parking Authority for all of their support over the past 20 years. We appreciate their contributions to the Olde Towne Antique & Flea Market. We also want to thank the Volunteer Sheriff’s deputy who keeps us safe every month.
Sponsored by:
The Olde Towne Business Association
City of Portsmouth
Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches
