A New Antique Fair

I’ve been on a quest to find new French antique locations to branch out from my usual brocantes. Not that I don’t love my Parisian antique dealers, but I’ve been wanting to explore what else is out there. That’s why, on my last trip to Paris, I ended up in a car at 5 am driving north to Lille! I was on a mission, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The “Fairest” of Them All

Every first weekend of September, La Grande Braderie de Lille attracts thousands of antique lovers from all over France and Europe to shop at over 300 vendors. This braderie (flea market) is not only an antique fair but also an experience! It’s the largest antique fair in Europe and the most famous antiquing event in France, with music, delicious food, rides and attractions to name a few. It seems like every Lillois (Lille resident) is out in the street partying and enjoying the festivities.

Here's a little recap video I had posted on Instagram to get a feel for the event:

Purchasing Antiques

As for the antiques, I found incredible items at wonderful prices! I highly recommend stopping by Lille if you make your way to France for an antiquing trip. The prices are more attractive than what you’ll find in Paris and the antique dealers expect you to negotiate with them. Tip: If you buy multiple items from the same vendor, they’ll be more willing to lower prices.

A few tips you’ll need to know before you go:

Plan to arrive early! When I arrived at the crack of dawn, around 7am, the vendors were still setting up so I had plenty of space to stroll around. Two hours later the fair was packed and very hectic - “crowded” is an understatement. By noon, it became hard to walk through the tents. So, if you want to do serious shopping, you can cover more ground by arriving early. Tip: the 2-hour trip by car can be cut in half by taking the train.

Take a look at the map ahead of time and make a plan. The map is often made available on La Braderie de Lille’s website a few weeks before the fair. In one day, I got through most of the tents by the river but didn’t get to see the hundreds of other tents throughout the city. You could easily shop there for 3 days straight!

Wear comfortable shoes. Because it had rained the day before and there was mud on the ground near the esplanade, my shoes took a beating! So, make sure to pack sneakers you don’t mind getting wrecked.

Plan for lunch. If you’re going on a buying trip and want to maximize your time, definitely make a reservation in advance or bring a sandwich. By lunchtime, the crowds have arrived and every restaurant in town is usually packed, as are all the street food vendors. I lunched at the Archimède, a péniche (boat restaurant) on the river. It was delicious and a nice calm break on this eventful day! Tip: if you like mussels, book a table at one of the many spots that serve moules-frites (mussels and French fries) – the French/Belgian bistro-style dish that’s become a Braderie de Lille tradition.

Bring a battery charger. With so many opportunities for a photo moment, you’ll want to keep your phone going all day, especially if you’re taking notes of all your purchases. Keeping your phone on low battery mode and limiting web searches can help preserve power but a portable charger is always a good idea.

Helpful Resources

Tickets, maps & transportation information: https://www.braderie-de-lille.fr/

Lille travel information, hotel accommodations, restaurants, etc: https://en.lilletourism.com/

Péniche Archimède Restaurant: https://www.penichearchimede.fr/

I hope you have the chance to visit Lille or other fairs in France someday. I think you’ll find it will be worth the trip! Until then, take a look at my Instagram reels for more inside views of a few of my favorite brocantes throughout France or see the links below for information about my French tours.

If you have any questions or would like to share your favorite antiquing spots in France, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below or on Instagram. As always, thank you for following along.

XOXO,
Sandra