Street fair features nostalgia

Justyn Henriquez
Staff Writer 

Community members gathered Saturday in downtown Pomona for the Collectors Street Faire looking for antiques, vintage clothing and an assortment of other collectibles.

The street fair went from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a section of East Second Street, known locally as Antique Row.

More than 30 independent vendors displayed their unique items at the event.

Joemm Blanche, the owner of Joemm’s Junk, who has been selling at flea markets and antique events for about 25 years was among them, his booth offered a variety of 1980s and ’90s nostalgia: Cassette tapes, books and other memorabilia.

Besides selling, Blang was happy for the chance to interface with fellow collectors.

“I speak with a lot of like-minded people that collect as well,” Blanche said. “And that is the best feedback and payoff that I get.”

Another stand, Trini’s Treasures, operated by Trini Varela, specialized in vintage clothing and accessories from the 1940s and ’50s. Varela is a regular vendor at the Collectors Street Faire and attends about four times a year.

“It’s a nice market, you get to see regulars here also, and you never know what’s going to sell,” Varela said.

She explained how vendors often bring items they consider unlikely to sell, and then usually that item is the first a customer buys right away.

For some vendors, this was their first time attending the Collectors Street Faire. Liliana Padilla, owner of Corazon Valentina Jewelry, brought jewelry and leather purses manufactured in Mexico for the customers.

Padilla is from Norwalk and regularly participates in similar events in her area, but this was her first time bringing Corazon Valentina Jewelry to Downtown Pomona.

“It is a nice community here and a cool little neighborhood,” Padilla said.

The street was filled with visitors and customers looking through different stands by 10 a.m.

Among the crowd was Brianna Delgado, a junior elementary education major from the University of La Verne.

“I just came to look at the different vendors and people selling different items today,” Delgado said.

Delgado enjoys the culture of the 1990s but her favorite time would be the 1970s. She enjoys going to similar markets and aspires to one day run her own stand.

“I would like to sell clothing, I think that would be really cool,” Delgado said.

Staying true to the antique theme of this street fair, each table had items available from across decades, giving visitors opportunities to purchase items no longer commonly found in stores.

A few of these were retro signs of restaurants like McDonald’s or Carl’s Jr., while others sold old-school records and cassette tapes. Some had fur coats and boots while others had jewelry and purses.

Over the span of the event, the street held a steady group of shoppers moving through the different vendors.

The temperature continued to rise as the morning went on, and the heat conditions made the outdoor event less comfortable.

Visitors began to thin as the afternoon came. Though the vendors continued to sell, most customers moved on before the official end at 2 p.m.

The semimonthly Collectors Street Faire will return to Antique Row on Nov. 28.

For more information, visit pomonaantiquemart.com/collectors-street-faire.html.

Justyn Henriquez can be reached at justyn.henriquez@laverne.edu.