As Campo students work their way to the final quarter, Vintage Vida hosted their first Vintage Market in Downtown Lafayette on Sunday May 11, giving students as well as the Lamorinda community an opportunity to take a break, relax, and look forward to the upcoming summer season. The Vintage Market arrives as a new addition to monthly events in the community and will routinely occur every second Sunday of the month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Opening in 2024, Vintage Vida is a curated vintage store owned by Carmen Guerrero and located in Lafayette. With a variety of items such as clothing, posters, and trinkets for purchase and display, items range from eras circa the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
Still, Guerrero stated that extending her passion for vintage-wear beyond her store was “always part of the plan.” Working as the Co-Chair of the Lafayette Retail Committee and growing closer to members of the community, Guerrero realized that organizing and implementing the market could benefit everybody. “Lafayette is such a tight-knit community and an extremely supportive local community,” Guerrero said. “So I definitely wanted to embed [the vintage market] and incorporate it into the community.”
A local event with free admission, the market showcases a variety of vintage vendors whose displays range from unique vintage clothing and accessories to a diverse array of sculptures and antique toys. “The first one had 27 vendors… they’re what I consider the top vintage dealers in the bay area,” Guerrero said when reflecting on the first market. “We are looking to lock in more space and we’re hoping that it will expand and grow to have more vendors… Everybody has their own eye or their own perspective on what they consider vintage so I really wanted to bring in a great mix of that which I think was represented.”
Talented single and duo live musicians were another addition to the market. “All musicians and music artists are local, they’re super talented,” Guerrero said. With live singing accompanied by guitars, both active market-goers as well as surrounding businesses and their customers benefited from the event.
“Seeing all walks of life, all ages, everybody from the community [coming] together, that really brought me so much peace and joy and I think the community felt it that day,” Guerrero said. “It felt very vibrant and alive and we were all getting along. That is the end goal with everything going on in the world… we need a bit more of that.”
For more information on both Vintage Vida and the Vintage Market, students can check out their Instagrams @vintagevida.shop and @contracostavintagemarket
