Alameda Point Antiques Faire Verified listing

If you’ve ever wondered where Northern California’s vintage hearts gather, look no further than the Alameda Point Antiques Faire. Picture an old naval airstrip, turned into a stretching stage of treasure, with the San Francisco skyline waiting in the distance. Every first Sunday of the month, over 800 dealers arrive, spread out across runway fields, and fill that open canvas with furniture, art, jewelry, collectibles, and every kind of vintage oddity you can dream of.

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill flea market. The Faire demands that everything be at least 20 years old. Which means when you dig through a booth, you’re not wading through novelty imports masquerading as vintage. You’re touching objects with weight, pedigree, history. Leather couches that have seen decades. Porcelain teasets. Old cameras with film wheels. Rustic architectural salvage. Even classic Barbie dolls. If it’s been around long enough, you might find it here.

Shoppers from across the Bay Area — collectors, designers, curious browsers — converge in waves. Many aim for the early windows: “VIP Shopping” (around 6:00 a.m.) or “Early Buy” (7:30–9:00 a.m.) get you the best pick. By midday, inventories shift, deals are whispered, a few gems hide in shadowed booths. Free parking, shuttles from lot to entrance, and a relaxed layout help keep the day manageable, even when the crowd thickens.

There’s also flair beyond the usual fare. Twice a year, the Faire hosts a Vintage Fashion Fair — racks of decades’ worth of style, from flapper dresses to ’70s suede jackets. And for those who like auctions, there are estate previews, annex auctions, side events. Rain or shine, holiday or not, the Faire goes on — the show adapts, sometimes rolling into the next Sunday if weather forces a change.

But the backdrop is part of the draw. That wide-open runway space, sloping skies, the quiet hum of clouds overhead, and beyond that, the Bay shimmering in sunlight. When you pause at a booth, you might hear sea gulls or catch the breeze moving tents. It feels cinematic. It feels on the verge of magic.

If you go, give yourself time. At least half a day. Wear layers (it gets chilly early, then warms). Bring cash (though many booths accept cards). Pack a good tote or a wheeled cart. Walk slowly. Talk to sellers. Ask about the story behind a lamp or that mid-century credenza with the scars. Sometimes that backstory becomes your favorite part of the find.

As big as the Faire is, it still has intimacy. A dealer lighting a lamp. Someone arranging china. The hum of voices, the clink of glass. You might leave with a small objet—or a conversation, a memory. And isn’t that the point? Because fiddling through old bones of design, in a place like Alameda Point, you realize — you’re not just buying something old. You’re harvesting connection.

Whether you’re a seasoned collector or someone who’s just curious, the Alameda Point Antiques Faire gives something rare: the chance to roam through time, among souls who love the same weird, beautiful things you do.