Markets are not only a great place to find great deals and items but also bridge together communal gaps. The University of Utah is no stranger to these kinds of events, such as the Pop-Up Thrift Shop, but this year something truly special is coming to campus. On Nov. 8 the University of Utah will be hosting the Utah Vintage Fest, and it’s something you’re not going to want to miss.
Vintage goods
So, what is Vintage Fest? Well, as mentioned it is an open market that brings in 50+ local vendors all with an emphasis on vintage aesthetics and feeling. There will be thrifting, of course, but there will also be a variety of other goods that can be found. “It’s not just thrifting clothes,” Barry Carta, one of the event organizers said. Vintage cameras, appliances, art, jewelry, sculptures, anything. If it has a vintage feeling, it’s sure to be here. Not to mention that any money spent goes right back into the community and supports local businesses. There’s also the chance to get out and meet other people and really connect with the campus and the broader Utah vintage scene as a whole.
By students, for students
The Utah Vintage Fest is being spearheaded by Carta and Danny Aloia. Carta is a graduate of the University of Utah and is currently a graduate student at the College of Law. Aloia, though not a U student, has graduated from the University of Illinois. Both Carta and Aloia met in Chicago, which is where the Vintage Fest first started. Aloia has worked with Vintage Fest, but this is the first time that Carta has run a Vintage Fest event.
Seeing as 30,000 people attended the Vintage Fest in Chicago, it only made sense that they would want to branch out to other states. And when it comes to local art and culture, Utah is a prime example. “We’ve been met with open arms,” Aloia said. Both of them have also only had positive experiences interacting with Utah’s local scene, as everyone was more than willing to show up and help out for this event. “A lot less painless than I had imagined,” is how Carta described his first time experience of organizing such an event. Aloia added that they looked at other, similar events that had been done on campus and used that to help guide their approach to this much larger market.
Utah Vintage Fest will be held on campus Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry for the event is free, so the only thing you’ll have to spend money on is whatever vintage goods you can find. It will also be held right in the A. Ray Olpin Union Building, the central hub of the campus that will be sure to accommodate the bustle of the day. When it comes to an event like this, showing up and supporting both the organizers and the venders is important. “This is only the beginning,” Aloia said. Both Carta and Aloia have plans to turn the Utah Vintage Fest into a recurring event. Seeing how quickly they were able to make the event come to be, and the general appeal of an open market, Utah Vintage Fest is sure to become a campus tradition.
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