Vintage Bazaar Hits Congress
By Betsy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 23, 2010 6:00PM
It seems like shows at Congress Theater are doomed to disappoint. But this weekend, Congress held a different type of event that was a huge hit. Yesterday’s Vintage Bazaar, a self-described “modern pop-up vintage flea market” filled the floor with 60 vendors that offered vintage collectibles, furniture, clothing, house wares and other odds and ends. The first Vintage Bazzar was held at Dank Haus in Lincoln Square last February.
Since more than 3,000 people showed up to the first bazaar, organizers Katherine Raz and Libby Alexander decided to move to Congress, which offered five times more space. They added more vendors and extended the hours. Even with the additional space, plenty of customers came to fill it up. Navigating between booths was a bit of a challenge. And our only other critique of the event was the poor lighting. It was difficult to inspect some of the vendors’ wares without squinting. Those who brought additional lighting - or were selling it - seemed to benefit from more customers.
If you couldn’t make it yesterday, check out the Vintage Bazaar’s vendor list. Many of them have their own Chicago-based stores and etsy shops. And, since these seem to be such a great success, we expect to see another Vintage Bazaar soon.