Chicago’s Annual Randolph Street Market Festival
Whether you refer to it as old, antique or vintage, there’s something for everybody!
July 18, 2011
Just as the fascinating syndicated television program Antiques Road Show has theability to mesmerize viewers – when lucky participants discover their bric-a-brac is worth a small fortune – Chicago’s Randolph Street Market will captivate you with the prospect of finding that once-in-a-lifetime conversation piece and will have you bragging to everyone who will listen about where you found it and what a deal you got!
Countless high-powered interior designers, socialites, artists and even celebrities flock annually to this thriving vintage market, which will be held this summer on three weekends: July 30-31, August 27-28 and September 24-25. The location also carries a hint of celebrity status, since it is situated next to the Queen of Talk’s compound – Harpo Studios – at 1340 W. Washington. Whether you’re a novice or someone who makes a yearly pilgrimage to the event, you will be dazzled by its labyrinth of displays and vignettes (inside and outside) filled with merchandise of every kind – accessories from around the world, vintage designer apparel, classic and timeless furniture, as well as many other great, unusual and amusing luxury items.
As the Randolph Street Market’s interiors director, I seized the opportunity to talk with many of the vendors from around the country and around the world to get an inside take of who comes here and why. Those who buy as well as sell seem to understand that it isn’t where you purchase any particular piece or even how much it costs – it is all about your connection with that certain piece! Of course, as an interior designer, it is my absolute pleasure to custom design a $50K heirloom piece for my private clients, but stumbling across the perfect accessory for twenty dollars to complement it – now that’s priceless!
So, come one and come all, but don’t be late because the fanatical diehards arrive in droves to be the first to scout the territory, hours before vendor set-up is even complete – impatiently waiting to make offers on what is considered to be the “Barney’s of vintage”!
For more information and to buy advance tickets, visit: http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com/.
(You will also find a link to my interviews with the vendors there).
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