Treasure hunters are sure to head on down to Boissevain this weekend for the annual Dunrea Flea Market where over a hundred vendors will be sharing their wares to well over a thousand people in search of their own personal keepsakes.
The Dunrea Flea Market has a rich history that began in the village of Dunrea, Manitoba, north-east of Boissevain. Initially, it was a smaller event but grew significantly over the years and was then moved to the Boissevain Ag Grounds to accommodate more vendors and visitors. That move took place about 10 years ago and has continually grown each year, now claiming to be the largest flea market in Manitoba.
The market is held each year on the Sunday of Labour Day weekend, organized by the Boissevain Kinsmen and Kinettes Clubs, featuring a wide variety of collectibles, veggies, homemade jams and preserves, antiques and oddities.
"We have over 100 vendors and we occupy both the skating rink and the curling rink, as well as the grounds between at the Boissevain Agricultural grounds. And I know like other years we'll be getting north of 2000 people as shoppers coming through the gate," shares Kinsmen member and co-coordinator for the event, Brandt Bessant.
At its start in the village of Dunrea the flea market was tied to the efforts of local antique and collectible enthusiasts, this having grown to include these and a whole host of more items of value.
"The Dunrea Flea Market is advertised as an antiques and collectibles vintage market, so anything from high end antiques to furniture, lamps, crocks, you name it," says Bessant. "And then there's primitive antiques like farm implements. There's all that sort of stuff and everything in between, now that some of the 40s fifty 60's and 70's collectibles and the vintage toys are becoming quite popular too. And then there are people that are crafters. There are people that are bakers, there's vegetables, there's anything you can think of that you might want will be at the market."
Bessant says the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs are separate but come together to host the annual event, this being their largest fundraiser for the community of Boissevain. He says all money raised from the market after expenses goes right back into local projects.
"So, it's a fundraiser for the community. The Kinsmen and Kinettes are always looking for places to donate money. We have scholarships and bursaries, and cystic fibrosis is our national fundraiser. We try and give some money to that and then projects that are going on in the community. So, whatever's coming up, we try and help."
The Dunrea Flea Market will take place Sunday, September 1st at the Boissevain Ag Grounds, come rain or shine! Gate admission is $5 for 12 years and up. Under 12 kids are free!