The first San Francisco Vintage Market will take place Saturday, July 20, at Fulton Plaza.
Donald Beaman/Oakland Vintage Market
Oakland Vintage Market began as an answer to small business shutdowns during the height of the pandemic. Now, the outdoor marketplace offering curated vintage furniture, art, jewelry and more, is expanding across the bay.
San Francisco Vintage Market launches Saturday, July 20, and is scheduled to take place every third Saturday in Fulton Square from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first market is expected to include 30 small vendors from around the Bay Area — including Piecemeal Vintage, the Rummagery and Proper Bones — with a focus on antique and vintage furniture, art, home decor and clothing. It will also feature live music.
“I’m a big fan of supporting small businesses,” Donald Beaman, the market’s manager, told the Chronicle. “I think recycling and upcycling is super important. It’s a fun way to be environmentally conscious and make responsible decisions.”
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A vendor sells furniture at the Oakland Vintage Market.
Donald Beaman/Oakland Vintage Market
Beaman also emphasizes the market aims to create a sense of community.
San Francisco Vintage Market: 10 a.m. Saturday, July 20. Free. Fulton Plaza, Fulton Street at Larkin Street, S.F. 510-250-9044.
Oakland Vintage Market: 10 a.m. Aug. 3. Free. 222 Jefferson St., Oakland. 510-250-9044.
“It’s a good way to get people together and out in the world and crossing paths,” he said. “You don’t have to buy anything. You can just look around.”
Vanessa Murray, owner of vintage design collective Narrative, started Oakland Vintage Market in December 2020 in response to store closures during the COVID-19 outbreak. She organized the event in an outdoor parking lot and implemented social distancing measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
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Earlier this year, however, Murray decided to pass management off to Beaman to focus more on Narrative, which recently expanded to include 40 vintage dealers. Its new 15,000-square-foot showroom opened at 590 Second St. in Oakland in April.
Barbara Swan Chami, manager of policy and public affairs at the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, reached out to Murray about expanding into San Francisco after shopping at the Oakland Vintage Market herself. A fan of midcentury modern furniture, she appreciates being able to shop from small local vendors, many of which do not have brick and mortar stores.
“When I went to (the Oakland Vintage Market), I suddenly saw these Instagram accounts that I followed,” Chami said. “So it was fun to kind of bring all of the different communities together in one place. I don’t know of another market that does that.”
San Francisco Vintage Market is part of the San Francisco park department’s broader initiative to activate the Civic Center plazas. It will be hosted in the city under a three-month trial. If it’s successful, it will continue indefinitely, Chami said
“A one-time event is one thing, but we really want to create things that will keep people coming to the Civic Center and downtown,” said Daniel Montes, the department’s communications manager.
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A vendor sells kitchen items at the Oakland Vintage Market.
Donald Beaman/Oakland Vintage Market
Oakland Vintage Market currently includes 45 rotating vendors and takes place at 222 Jefferson St. on the first Saturday of every month. The next market is scheduled for Aug. 3.
Both markets invite a list of vendors each month, many of which participate regularly. New vendors interested in either the Oakland or San Francisco markets can reach out to Beaman via email at [email protected].
Reach Lauren Harvey: [email protected]
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