Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair - Nottinghamshire, UNITED KINGDOM
The huge and longstanding Newark International Antiques and Collectors Fair enjoys the distinction of being included in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and ranked by many as the largest antiques fair in Europe. This huge flea market is a magnet for dealers from across Europe, North America and Asia who, along with domestic buyers and collectors, make regular pilgrimages here for some serious purchasing.
The Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair is held at the Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground on an enormous 84 acre site, up to 2,500 stands attract thousands of dealers and buyers from around the globe every other month.
The atmosphere is lively and busy; there is a buzz here, a feeling of energy. This is a compact and crowded flea market, with vendors in a number of buildings around the showground site as well as in marquees, or exposed to the elements outside.
Fortunately, is also a well-organized event, with facilities and services aimed at making your visit a smooth and enjoyable one. The great appeal lies in the huge amount of choice for every conceivable collecting taste, from traditional to offbeat. In addition to fine decorative antiques and collectibles – china, glassware, silver, paintings, jewellery, chandeliers and rugs, sports memorabilia, paintings – the flea market features rustic items and unique signature pieces – garden-ware, metal advertising signs, wicker chairs, industrial lighting, distressed metal cabinets, stained glass windows — sought after by home decor professionals and enthusiasts.
The quality is usually high and vendors tend to be knowledgeable about what they’re selling. Read more about Flea markets and antique fairs in England >
Where: Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground, Newark, Nottinghamshire, SAT NAV – NG24 2NY (01636 702326, iacf.co.uk).
When: Thursday-Friday, up to six times a year. Entry £20 Thursday, £5 Friday
Source: Vintage and Antique Fairs of England by Sandy Price/IACF
