The Vintage Market Mercantile opened in Trenton in June 2014. This upscale flea market-style shopping experience features local shops and vendors. At the market, you can find not only vintage finds, but also home decor, furniture, clothing boutiques, bath and body products, candles and so much more.

Owners Rina Belanger and Angie Guzzardo were sharing a bottle of wine on the back porch when the idea was born. They had been refinishing furniture for a couple of years and gaining popularity on social media. Since they couldn’t sell their pieces anywhere and carrying everything would be too heavy for a street fair, they decided to create an event. They contacted about 20 other small businesses like theirs and hosted their first pop-up at the Trenton Cultural Center. “The turnout was so incredible, and we knew then that we created a great thing, and it was going to continue to grow. Fast forward, now we host 12-15 events at fairgrounds across Michigan,” Belanger said.

After The Vintage Market grew too large in Trenton, they decided to look at local fairgrounds. They met with the manager of the Monroe County Fairgrounds and received a tour and fell in love with “one of the prettiest fairgrounds in Michigan.”

In addition to the Monroe County Fairgrounds, Belanger and Guzzardo host several events at several locations across Michigan. Each year can be different as they travel across the state. They like to move the market sometimes so they can reach new areas. This year, they are at Monroe County Fairgrounds and Armada Fairgrounds.

When planning for events, Belanger and Guzzardo start a year in advance to organize vendors, schedule the music and special guests, gather pieces for the large displays and photo booths, and also advertise for the events. “It takes a lot to plan these large-scale events,” Belanger said.

Each event has a different theme unless it’s an annual event like the Trenton Street Fair, Lobstoberfest, and Small Business Saturday. For the rest of this year, the themes are: “Into the Woods,” “Around the World,” “Wicked Pickin,’” “A Rosie Christmas,” and “Merry Masquerade.”

Belanger says, “Wicked Pickin’ is our absolute favorite market. This is our huge fall/Halloween show at Monroe County Fairgrounds. This event features 200+ vendors, dancing witches, costume contests, spooky guests, live bands all day and so many other astonishing things to enjoy.”

Their next event is “Into the Woods” on April 28th at Armada Fairgrounds. After that, there is the Trenton Street Fair, June 28th – 30th, in downtown Trenton. After that, they are hosting “Around the World” at Grosse Ile Municipal Airport.

Belanger and Guzzardo are especially excited to bring The Vintage Market to Blakes Orchard. They are partnering with them for the first time. There will be five events after that for the year.

The Vintage Market is open Tuesday - Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and they are closed on Mondays. It is located at 2710 West Jefferson, Trenton, MI. Information on upcoming events is on their website: thevintagemarketmi.com