This weekend saw the tenth Festival of Vintage, held at York Racecourse. I traded at Festival of Vintage presents A Vintage Christmas last December and I absolutely loved it, so I jumped at the chance to trade at the Spring event this year.
I'd been preparing for a good couple of months beforehand to make sure I had enough stock. The week or so before an event always mean a few late nights but that's all part of the fun (and is what coffee was invented for). The day before, I was busy dropping child, cat and dog off to various locations to make sure everyone was looked after while me and my glamorous assistant (ahem, husband) were away in York. Then I packed up the car, had a little last minute panic (how many shoe clips are enough shoe clips?!) and set my hair ready for an early start Saturday morning.
5am rolls around and the alarm goes off. Time for a quick coffee, shower and to brush out and clip my hair and then we're off (with a brief stop for a bacon bap en route). The race course is already busy and bustling when we get there. We quickly unload the car (I say we, it was very much my husband that did the leg work there. I mostly just arranged my table) and got the products set up and looking pretty. There was just time for me to get my hair, make up and nails done and the doors opened and the event began!
One of my favourite things about vintage events is people watching. I absolutely love watching people living their best lives in their incredible outfits. From the people attending their first ever vintage weekend, wearing a hair scarf for the first time, to the seasoned lindy bop dancers dressed head to toe in authentic 1940's' vintage, to the mums and daughters in matching homemade circle skirts and bows- its such a wonderful mix of people. With music playing throughout the day, it was a lovely lively atmosphere. I also thoroughly enjoy the chance to get face to face with customers and see my products being worn in real life! I had several conversations about shoe clips, hair scarves and hair flowers, helping to style them and chatting about new products and I loved every second of it!
I also do of course love the shopping. The selection of stalls there was magnificent. The section that I was in was called the Nostalgia Hall and was full of reproduction vintage, including accessories, clothing and jewellery. In the Vintage Arcade, there was a selection of every imaginable kind of vintage- dresses, suits, bags, shoes, gloves, jewellery, books, ornaments, lamps, records- the list in endless! There was also a salon set up, where you could go and get your hair and make up done in gorgeous vintage style. I could very easily have bought 100 things in the first hour so I had to pace myself. In the end, I left with two new porcelain cats to add to my current workshop collection, a selection of new bangles, some reproduction vintage trousers and two gorgeous lightweight jersey turbans.
Once again, Festival of Vintage was a wonderful event and I am hoping to be back again in December! I'll definitely be saving my pennies ready to do a bit more shopping- I'm sure I can fit another cat or two on my shelf!