This monthly antiques fair – more commonly known as the Alameda Flea – is just a 20 minute drive from the city. As the largest antiques show in Northern California, it’s a rite of passage for Bay Area vintage-lovers. The orderly gathering features over 800 booths selling home decor, clothing, furniture, pottery, art, books, jewelry, and more. The fair (ahem, faire) takes its history seriously: All items sold are required to be at least 20 years old. Accordingly, the crowd is made up of some serious antique hunters, many of whom start lining up well before 6am.
If you're looking for a flea market in San Francisco, you'll have plenty of options both in the city and across the region. Whether you’re a seasoned vintage clothing store scout, a casual collector of antiques, a practiced haggler or simply an unabashed lover of cheap date ideas, San Francisco Bay Area flea markets cater to every sensibility.
For a full-day experience of deal snagging, don't miss the Alameda Point Antiques Faire, the largest antiques show in Northern California. It's held on the first Sunday of every month and boasts more than 800 vendors. The event is good for both serious hunters (the kind who get there first thing in the morning for the best finds) and casual strollers who want to take a peek and grab some grub from one of the food trucks.
Then there's TreasureFest, when you can find antiques, accessories, housewares, records, books and all manner of covetable and oddball junk for a steal. And aside from two enormous events, there are plenty of smaller neighborhood markets in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose.
No matter which one you choose, it's all about the thrill of the hunt—and the sweet satisfaction of a bargain.
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