YORK, Pa. — A unique, nostalgia-filled shopping experience is returning to York for one final event this year.
717 Vintage Fest will hold its last pop-up of 2024 this weekend at the York Expo Center. Vendors and shoppers from surrounding communities and five different states will come together for two days of antique heaven. Organizers estimate thousands of attendees will travel from a few blocks to hundreds of miles away for the weekend experience.
"We're thrilled to provide a space where vintage lovers can come together to find one-of-a-kind treasures and truly experience the nostalgia of past decades," said Jessica Weikert, organizer of 717 Vintage Fest, in a press release. "With two full days of shopping, exploring, and discovering, we encourage attendees to shop both days and plan an overnight stay to ensure they don’t miss a thing!"
The event has garnered praise as “a vintage dreamland” and “a must for your bucket list,” making it one of the most anticipated and talked-about vintage events in the region, organizers said. From 1920s glam to iconic Y2K pieces, attendees can find unique treasures from over 60 vendors with pieces from every decade to update a wardrobe or add something special to a dream home.
Weikert says "vintage" is considered anything 20 years or older.
"When I started selling vintage, all of the vintage was older than me. And now it's stuff I wore in middle school," she laughed. "Everything always comes back in style, and that's the glory. But it's kind of crazy too."
Those who don't jive with antique shopping can still find something enjoyable at the event. In addition to rows of vintage clothing, accessories and collectables to peruse, there will be experiences such as hand poke tattoos, tarot card readings, a bar featuring local brews, food trucks, a DJ spinning vinyl all weekend and a charm bar on Saturday and permanent jewelry on Sunday.
The Festival also celebrates women entrepreneurs and small business owners. It brings together vendors from all over to help each other find success—and maybe even their next great business venture.
“The majority of business owners are female, so I feel very empowered by my community, and I consider myself very lucky to be in such a like-minded, positive group of people,” Weikert said at a pop-up last October.
The Fest is a community-based endeavor, with Explore York as a sponsor and eco-conscious small business Refillism a sustainability partner that will offer recycling, compost waste sorting and a sustainable gift wrapping station. Vintage Fest is presented by Weikert's downtown York vintage store, Revolt Style Studios.
"Through doing pop-up events and, you know, just collaborating with other vintage businesses, I've really grown a community of wonderful vintage businesses in the region. And so that's kind of where 717 Vintage Fest came from," Weikert said. "Just a way for all of us to get together, show off our best stuff, and then have our customers be able to shop all of us in one place."
The Fest will be held at Horticulture Hall in the York Expo Center, found at 334 Carlisle Ave. in York, from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10. Shoppers who are too enthusiastic to wait for general admission can also purchase an early entry ticket for Saturday to get into 717 Vintage Fest an hour early, at 10 a.m.
Complimentary parking is available at the Expo Center.