What a day.
On Sunday, nearly 1,000 people walked through the doors of our second I Love North Shields Vintage Market, transforming Salt Market Social into a celebration of vintage, creativity, independent business and community.
Every market teaches us something new, and one thing is becoming very clear – our community is growing.
People travelled from across the North East to spend the day exploring over 50 + carefully curated traders, meeting makers, collectors, artists and vintage specialists who filled two floors with everything from mid-century homeware and antiques to fashion, records, artwork, textiles and one-of-a-kind treasures.
But our markets have never just been about shopping.
Throughout the day visitors enjoyed live music from The Quiet Fire, watched Paul Richard Signwriter demonstrate the traditional craft of hand-painted sign writing, families got creative with Craft with Amy, and the Harriott & Solomon Portrait Parlour gave people the chance to step back in time and have their portrait taken as a Victorian Fishing Lass or Fishing Man – creating memories that people will treasure for years to come.
The I Love North Shields Photography Collective were also there throughout the day, chatting to visitors, showcasing their work and encouraging more people to join our growing community of photographers and our regular photo walks around North Shields.
As the market drew to a close, many people stayed for our Community Social, sharing food, drinks and conversations long into the afternoon. Seeing neighbours chatting, traders supporting one another and visitors discovering somewhere new is exactly why we started these events.
The feedback has been incredible.
One first-time trader wrote:
“We had such a wonderful experience from start to finish… The atmosphere was fantastic, everything was really well organised, and we couldn’t have asked for a better first event.”
Another supporter summed it up perfectly:
“Another brilliant day, what a great community.”
A huge thank you goes to every trader, musician, volunteer, photographer, demonstrator and visitor who helped make the day what it was. Every person who chose to spend the day with us helped support independent businesses and proved once again that North Shields has an amazing creative community.
This is only the beginning.
Coming up next:
Autumn Vintage Market
Sunday 25 October 2026
Made by the Sea – Artisan & Makers Market
Sunday 29 November 2026
Christmas Vintage Market
Sunday 20 December 2026
If you’re an independent trader, artist, maker, collector or food producer and would like to be part of one of our upcoming events, we’d love to hear from you.
Email events@ilovenorthshields.com to register your interest.
Thank you for believing in what we’re building together. Every market feels a little bigger, a little stronger and a little more connected than the last—and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back again soon.
Grab your free tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ilovenorthshields
“Independent traders are the heartbeat of our markets. Behind every stall is a person, a story and a passion. When you shop local, you’re investing in people, not just products – and helping build the kind of community we all want to be part of.”
— I Love North Shields
