Four Must-Visit Fashion Markets in Vancouver

After two long years of online shopping made necessary by COVID-19, it’s a breath of fresh air to finally be able to shop in person. Pre-pandemic, Vancouver fashion markets were a constant presence in the city, and now with restrictions finally lifting, these markets are coming back in a big way. Check out our guide below to some of the best fashion markets in Vancouver- you might just find your next favourite local business. 

1. The Eastside Flea

A year-round community market, The Eastside Flea is a one-stop-shop for vendors of all kinds. Hosted at Eastside Studios on Malkin Ave, you’ll easily find unique food, fashion, and art when looking around this market. These vendors sell a selection of vintage clothes, handmade goods, collectibles, plants, artisan eats, and so much more. There really is something for everyone at this market! Every event they host has over forty local vendors and small businesses. Wondering when to mark your calendar? Keep a lookout on their social media and website for when they host their next market or subscribe to their newsletter. It’s worth looking forward to for its unique items, foods, and games!

2. Portobello West Market

Another popular community market, the Portobello West Market comes just in time for every season. Established in 2006, the market brings an opportunity to designers in the area by opening them up to new customers in order to help their business succeed. It's a curated market for each season with displays of fashion, accessories, art, decor, and so much more. This is the perfect place to discover new businesses, and the funds collected from each market go back into developing the market for artisans and education. You can catch the summer market coming up on Saturday, August 20th from 10 to 5 pm on South Granville Street in Vancouver, their Fall market on September 17th, and a Holiday Market on November 26th and 27th. Go check it out for unique work from over fifty local Vancouver businesses and vendors!

3. Vancouver Flea Market

The Vancouver Flea Market is slightly different from the others, as it is open weekly with occasional themed shows throughout the year. At the flea market, you can find unique clothes and jewellery from a variety of vendors. You can check out the record show happening on October 16th and the antique show happening on November 13th. The market can be found at 703 Terminal Avenue in Vancouver, nicknamed the “Big Red Barn”. Not up to shopping in person? They also host a virtual flea market, a 24/7 site that is always updated with unique and vintage items.

4. Punjabi Market Collective

The Punjabi Market Collective is a historical and cultural market that is very important to the Punjabi community. The market has historical significance due to the stories of the early immigration of Punjabi individuals. The first Sikh immigrants from Punjab came to Vancouver in the 1890s, working in lumber mills and construction, feeling that they suffered similar treatment as the Chinese and Japanese immigrants did. As Chinese and Japanese immigrants were able to create areas to reside in and eventually showcase their cultures, the Punjabi community sought to do the same. The neighbourhood eventually became predominantly Indo-Canadian, and the market came to life when the first shop opened in 1970. The shop was created in an attempt to fulfill a dream to emulate the market seen in Southhall, London, and it eventually became the first and the largest Punjabi market in North America. In 1993, the market was the first to have a Punjabi street sign outside of Asia, and at its peak, around the 1980s and 1990s, the market had over 300 shops participating. In 2019, the Vancouver City Council passed a motion called “Punjabi Market at Fifty: Celebrating the Past and Planning for the Future”, which helped to confirm that the Punjabi Market has historical significance and importance to the present, along with showcasing the cultural significance the market provides. 

The market and area were once nicknamed “Little Punjab”, and are also now known as “Little India”, the market is now growing to become what it once was. The collective includes advocates, artists, students, and entrepreneurs working hard together to revitalize Vancouver’s historic Punjab market through a number of initiatives such as donations and volunteering, as well as to promote businesses, and create a hub for culture and artists. The market is focused on a space for the Punjabi community to thrive and to showcase the art, fashion and culture that the community supports and loves. To explore the market, head down to Main Street between 48th ave and 51st ave. There, you can find a number of businesses selling clothes, jewelry, art, home decor, restaurants and even groceries, which are all participants in the market.  The market also has a number of murals for all you art-lovers, with one recent art installation called “Marigolds in the Market”. Stay tuned for events they have coming up, and to see how they’ll revitalize the beautiful market!

We hope you’re ready for all the upcoming markets coming to Vancouver this summer because they sure are ready for you. Look up each of the market’s social media and websites for updated information and upcoming events. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments which markets you’re looking forward to and which others we should look out for!