From The Straits Times    |
640t_antiques

4 new weekend flea-markets in Singapore you must visit

Image: 123RF

RETRO FACTORY

When Gary Tan – a lover of all things vintage – started his Facebook group, Retro Factory, last year, he garnered 300 members in just a few months. Thinking he might be the only person in Singapore obsessed with the old and collectable, he was stunned by the numbers of people who shared his passion for the past life. Over 1,000 attendees mingled with the 22 vendors who were selling the likes of vinyl records, knick-knacks, gramophones, vintage cameras and old typewriters with prices starting at S$3.

Retro Factory’s next vintage flea market will take place on Tanjong Katong Road on the first weekend of May. Along with the history for sale, there’ll be guest DJs, local swing dancers from Dapper & Dames Vintage and gourmet grub.

Mr Tan hopes to hold these markets monthly, so go show him some support, nab yourself a gem and have a great time while you’re at it.

For information contact retrofactory@outlook.com or join the Facebook page at The Retro Factory

 

THE EVERYDAY FOLK MARKET

For their next art market this month, The Local People are coupling up with the Enabling Village, a community space that’s home to social businesses and a hub to help people with disabilities, ‘power-pairing’ – called The EveryDay Folk Market – will see them take over the carpark area and selling art, retail and artisanal food.

As always, it’s totally home-grown afair with the likes of vintage homware from Time Traveller, popcorn by King Corn, handicrafts by The Singapore Association for the Deaf and jewellery from By Invite Only. An ongoing open mic session will provide music by acoustic singer-songwriters throughout as you peruse cute stuffed toys, handmade pins and badges, leather pieces, popsicles, cupcakes and burgers.

At sunset, the area turns into a lounge, complete with Airmocks and short film screenings projected on a wall. Yep, festival season with a pin has seemingly arrived.

Everyday Folk Market is on April 23, 4pm-9pm at Enabling Village, 20 Lengkok Bahru. Free

 

EDIBLE GARDEN CITY AT HORT PARK

Rob Pearce of the local urban farmers collective, Edible Garden City, loved his two past pop-up markets, but he hated the setting up and tearing down and flapping about part. So, clever him is setting up a new 8,600 square ft space at Hort Park, which can host up to 30 vendors who want more permanent spaces.

For those not in the know, Edible Garden City are a collective who design, build and maintain food gardens in Singapore, helping out with restaurants, hotels, schools and residences to grow food at under-utilised spaces like rooftops and sidewalks to conserve natural resources, and big-up a sense of community. The new space will soft-launch in May and bring all their hard work and clients together, with up to 30 food and gardening businesses holding workshops and vendors selling wares. Rob hopes the future will see the company host one-off workshops, in-depth courses, and that they one day open their own cafe selling coffee, cakes, and sandwiches using produce from their own gardens.

Join in the green-scene next month on May 15, Hort Park. www.ediblegardencity.com

 

WORKSHOP ELEMENT (W.E) & TOGETHERLY AT ISETAN, WISMA ATRIA

It’s not the first time that W.E. Workshop Element – the retail pop-up platform for emerging Singaporean designers – have collaborated to bring us an incredible pop-up store at Wisma Atria. And as of next week they’ll be back there once again with their latest venture which sees them working with content strategists, Togetherly. Expect to be hit with a smorgasboard of over 100 local fashionistas and curators (think Craft Assembly, Little by Little, Ying The Label and Epigram to name but a few), filling the 6,000 square ft space with clothes, accessories, bags, toys, handicrafts, books, food and more. Best bit? It’s going to be hanging around until June 30.

Wisma Atria, Orchard Road. Find Togetherly and W.E on Facebook for all the designer profiles