Third Sunday Market in Bloomington

What's the best way to recover from a two-day road trip? A trip to the area flea market of course! Despite not arriving to my parent's house until close to 11pm on Saturday, my mom and I got up at the crack of dawn to get some deals at the Third Sunday Market in Bloomington, IL. This event is not to be missed by anyone in Central IL who is hoping for a piece of the past without breaking the bank. For me, this show is right up there with Warrenton as far as quality of merchandise, variety of junk, and great prices are concerned. Definitely a much smaller scale, but there are at least six barns full of goodness plus lots of outside vendors too. And you can't beat the Midwest for farmhouse finds!

I have been lucky enough to be home for the 3rd Sunday Market on many trips home in recent years. Last year, I wanted to plan a trip to coincide with the show, so I checked the website and didn't see the future dates posted yet. I submitted one of those 'contact us' forms to ask when that summer's show dates would be so I could be sure to attend one, and a guy politely wrote me back with the dates of the 3rd Sunday of each month. As I read his response, I realized just how ridiculously dumb my question was. It was one of those moments when I wonder how I can hold a steady job. At any rate, in case you are wondering when the Third Sunday Market is, it is indeed the 3rd Sunday of every month from May to October. So the next one is July 21.  

The order of the pictures for this post is a bit messed up thanks to spotty internet connection in the boonies, but up first are some pictures of a vendor from the rabbit barn. (This market is held at my county fairgrounds, so we call the barns by what animals they house.) I think you will love the look of the vignettes from Mariann of Willows in Dubuque, IA. After seeing her space in the rabbit barn at 3rd Sunday, I can only imagine how gorgeous her goods are at her shop, which is in a beautiful old brick building. 

She had a patriotic theme at the front of her space and those lockers were divine!

Great idea for the 4th of July. 

Her style combined French country, primitive farmhouse, and vintage industrial.
It all blended together so well. 

Her booth was busy! I hope she had a great show.

Here are some other pictures of the fine displays from the rabbit barn:

 This was not in the rabbit barn and should have been in the sheep barn:

This sign is awesome. As a 4-H alumna who showed sheep for 10 years, I certainly love the 4-H symbol and the sheep part, but really, who wouldn't want to be a Hustler?
That term immediately makes me think of Snoop Dogg.
I was a member of the County Capri club.
Capri means 'goat' in Latin. I would rather be a hustler.

Next up was my favorite vendor. I was immediately drawn to this outdoor booth by the vibrant potted plants and bright chippy furniture and veered off my path to the cattle barn to see what this place had to offer. 

Turns out, it is the booth of two friends, one of whom has done only one show prior to this! Shout out to Melinda Hanafin Decker of the La Tea Da Tearoom in Clinton (if you haven't been yet for the chicken salad sandwiches and La Tea Da tea, you must!) and Kelsey Graber Ohnesorge (and her mom Julie Graber) of The Backyard Barn. Their space looked amazing and I spent countless minutes wandering and examining all of their extensive collection of junk. I got several things here and am really impressed with their set-up, as this is only their second or third show. Their booth was packed and it was hard to get pictures without shoppers! I also took these on my second run through their space, and lots had already sold. Hope they had a great show, and I hope they become regulars at markets around the area. 

Kelsey used these at her wedding with Mason jars and fresh flowers!

What I love about shows and shops is the opportunity to use live foliage to add color, texture, and depth to displays. It is amazing how much better junk looks with a few plants! 

Here are some other pictures of the scene at the market:

Ball jars are EVERYWHERE in the Midwest!

Wish this was coming home with me.

Or this.

It was so crowded! I enjoyed running into several people I knew while shopping. 

Hope they found as many great deals as I did!

This is the loot I got from the market:

I made out like a bandit hustler. 

Have a chic week,

~Sarah