{"id":202221,"date":"2026-03-03T13:54:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/202221\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T13:54:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:54:09","slug":"meet-the-mastermind-behind-the-sacramento-antique-faire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/202221\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the mastermind behind the Sacramento Antique Faire"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Abridged version:<\/p>\n

The Sacramento Antique Faire comes to the old Sleep Train Arena parking lot the second Sunday of every month.<\/p>\n

It is more than 20 years old, and founder Marylon Rose takes pride in its loyal community of vendors and customers.<\/p>\n

More than 300 vendors sell thousands of items from antiques to original art, collectibles and vintage clothing.<\/p>\n

On the second Sunday of each month, a temporary city begins to take shape hours before sunrise in the abandoned parking lot of the former Sleep Train Arena in Natomas.<\/p>\n

At 3:30 a.m., more than 300 trucks, vans, cars and trailers roll in, each one filled to the brim with timeless treasures. Behind the wheel sits an unforgettable gem \u2014 an antiques dealer with this month\u2019s haul ready to unveil their quirky collection. They are more than monthly vendors.<\/p>\n

They are the heart and soul of the Sacramento Antique Faire, one of the largest events of its kind in Northern California and beyond. In a matter of minutes, the makeshift mall transforms into something that is both overwhelming and intimate \u2014 a living archive of objects curated by hundreds of individual lives.<\/p>\n

What truly distinguishes the Sacramento Antique Faire is the promise shoppers find in the one-of-a-kind wares and the vendors who sign a contract pledging their collectibles are more than 20 years old. No reproductions are allowed.<\/p>\n

\"antiques\"Chris Griffith sells a variety of European antiques at the Sacramento Antique Faire. (Shelley Ho)<\/p>\n

An exit led to a lifetime of joy<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never gotten the consistent joy that I\u2019ve gotten here,\u201d said Marylon Rose, founder and owner\/operator of the Sacramento Antique Faire.<\/p>\n

Finding that joy was not easy work. The year was 2001. Rose, a mother of two, had been a stay-at-home mom for more than a decade. The time had come when she had to find work. She had three months to come up with a plan. \u201cI was getting off the freeway at the 16th Street exit with my little kids in the backseat and said, \u2018What does mommy enjoy?\u2019 My son said \u2018antiques\u2019 and it hit me,\u201d Rose said.<\/p>\n

Rose loved antiques stores and had become friends with several shop owners at 21st and X Streets near the exit to her Land Park home. \u201cThey would tell me they didn\u2019t have enough business or foot traffic and couldn\u2019t afford advertisement. And boom, it hit me! This makes sense.\u201d\u00a0The answer was right in front of her eyes in more ways than one.<\/p>\n

She decided to create the Sacramento Antique Faire right across the street from the shops she loved. Rose says the concept was unconventional. \u201cI can charge rent and then I\u2019ll do a collective advertising budget so I can afford to advertise the fair. And then run the thing and they can get more foot traffic. It was just a way to try to build business for the antiques community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"customer\"Jose Avila displays a vintage painting of a Siamese cat he bought for $10 at the Sacramento Antique Faire. (Shelley Ho)<\/p>\n

Planning took years\u00a0<\/p>\n

It took three years to plan and get the Sacramento Antique Faire going, first launching in 2004 at 21st and X Streets. The first show attracted 143 vendors. By the second month, participation doubled. \u201cWe had 300,\u201d she says. \u201cWe were full the second month.\u201d The immediate response told her that Sacramento was ready for a marketplace built not only on antiques but on human interaction and storytelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a sociology major and I like the idea of bringing community together. An event that is clear and easy. Something the same yet completely different for people to come to every month,\u201d Rose said.<\/p>\n

\u201dThe best part of this without question is seeing people gather and be happy together,\u201d Rose added.<\/p>\n

\"antiqueShoppers look through boxes of vintage baby dolls on sale at the Sacramento Antique Faire. (Shelley Ho)<\/p>\n

Highway work forced move to Natomas<\/p>\n

In 2021, the monthly fair moved to its new Natomas location to make room for the Highway 50 construction project. Rose hopes the fair will move back to X Street later this year.<\/p>\n

Entrance is inexpensive, $3 per person and free for those under the age of 16. The fair draws people of all walks of life. \u201cI love the expression, \u2018People feel comfortable coming here and being themselves,\u2019\u201d Rose said. \u201cJust look around. Everyone is happy. And now, there are so many generations here, there\u2019s this new generation, the young people coming in their vintage garb and they look great. And look, all ages are talking to each other. It\u2019s a family of 5,000.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, more than two decades later, Rose remains at the helm, overseeing an event that has become both a commercial platform and a social ecosystem. She describes her role with characteristic understatement and is quick to redirect credit elsewhere. \u201cThese vendors are the reason that this fair exists.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"hugging\"Marylon Rose, left, hugs vendor Mimi Geegee at the Sacramento Antique Faire. Geegee sells textiles, vintage clothes and knickknacks. (Shelley Ho)<\/p>\n

Vendors are family<\/p>\n

Vendors form the structural and emotional core of the Sacramento Antique Faire. Rose repeatedly emphasized that the event\u2019s existence depends on their commitment and satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Joan Furtado stands out as a foundational figure, a longtime participant whose relationship with Rose goes back to the very beginning of the fair. In 22 years, Furtado has only missed one month. Furtado scours the state for treasure to sell each month. She is the epicenter of the fair.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a big part of my life. It\u2019s not just a job, it\u2019s a culture,\u201d Furtado said. A longtime dealer, Furtado buys a huge variety of collectibles from across California and has been doing so for 42 years. Furtado sells daily at an antique booth in Roseville. \u201cAnd let me tell you, I do more (at the Faire) in one day what I do in a month at my other spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furtado says the fair is priceless to her in many ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know each other, we\u2019ve grown together, we\u2019ve aged together, it\u2019s just really been a rewarding experience for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"peopleLongtime vendor Joan Furtado, center, talks to Rob Stewart about her experience selling at the Sacramento Antique Faire. Marylon Rose, left, signed Furtado as the fair\u2019s first vendor. (Shelley Ho)<\/p>\n

\u2018They blow my mind\u2019<\/p>\n

Longtime attendee Rick Hamilton always starts with Furtado\u2019s nine tables. \u201cShe\u2019s the real deal; she\u2019s the dealer who puts her stuff out and other dealers flock.\u201d Hamilton divides his time between Sacramento and Massachusetts and still makes a point of attending nearly every month. \u201cAll the time. Almost every month,\u201d he said. His recent acquisitions include \u201ca little piece of crystal and an illustration original of the Palace of Fine Arts from 1916.\u201d The range of available items continues to impress him. \u201cThey blow my mind. It\u2019s incredible and different every single time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Newer vendors bring additional layers of specialization and narrative. Allison Nord, who focuses on vintage signs and industrial artifacts, describes the collecting process with humor and precision. \u201cIt\u2019s a slippery slope from collector to hoarder,\u201d she said, referring to her extensive storage collection as \u201cMancave Disneyland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"peopleAllison Nord sells antique street signs at the Sacramento Antique Faire. (Shelley Ho)<\/p>\n

Many of her pieces, including pressed steel signs from the 1920s through the 1940s, were sourced through long-term relationships with other collectors. \u201cI found a guy and he literally has had them for 50 years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Despite operating within a commercial framework, Nord expresses a clear preference regarding her customers. \u201cI like to sell to people that are going to use it, not resellers. I shouldn\u2019t care, but I do. These things are stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose\u2019s attentiveness to her vendors is genuine, a defining characteristic of her leadership. She knows every vendor by name, understands their specialties and maintains regular communication throughout the month. \u201cThey are truly family\u201d she said. \u201cThey are so loyal, and I am devoted to them. This isn\u2019t just transactional business; it\u2019s a collaborative community.\u201d <\/p>\n

Rose\u2019s son Nicholas was in sixth grade when the fair began and now lives in New York City. He said his mother\u2019s approach has defined the event\u2019s success. \u201cI think it stems from the fact that she deeply cares about the vendors and the customers,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s always vendors first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marketplace built on human connection<\/p>\n

From its inception, the Sacramento Antique Faire was never intended to be a conventional retail event. Rose envisioned a gathering place where buying and selling would be inseparable from conversation, education and relationship-building. That philosophy has guided every decision she has made since the earliest days, shaping the tone of the marketplace and the loyalty of those who participate in it.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the fair\u2019s impact can be found in the voices of its shoppers, whose experiences collectively illustrate why the event continues to thrive in an era increasingly dominated by digital marketplaces.<\/p>\n

For first-time attendee Olivia Hollingsworth, the appeal came with the thrill of immediate discovery. Moving quickly through the aisles, she listed her finds with pure joy. \u201cI found this nice jacket, I got a shirt, and then my real hunt, this rug. This is such a good deal. It was priced at 40, I got it for 30, but I feel like these go for like 100 plus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"customers\"Olivia Hollingsworth and Tyrel Robertson display an antique rug they purchased at the Sacramento Antique Faire. (Shelley Ho)<\/p>\n

Buying something is inevitable<\/p>\n

Her friend Tyrel Robertson came for the vintage clothes. He offers a practical observation that has become something of a shared joke among regular attendees. \u201cEven if you plan on not buying something, it\u2019s going to happen. It\u2019s just inevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sacramento resident Alexis Olivarez, repeated visits have transformed the fair into a personal ritual. \u201cIt\u2019s probably like my 10th time,\u201d she said, holding her collection of purchases in her arms and pulling the rest in a wagon. \u201cI racked up. I got a table, chairs, vintage Valentine\u2019s cards form the 1940s, a suitcase, and a frame,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cI got one of these little suitcases for my future baby. When he goes to his grandma,\u201d she says, suggesting that objects found here often become embedded in family histories.<\/p>\n

Even former vendors remain drawn to the event. Jose Avila, who sold at the fair years ago, now attends primarily as a shopper. \u201cI love it,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s super cool to see all the random knickknacks and clothes. Check out this vintage cat painting, I paid 10 bucks. That\u2019s my best deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose never planned to build one of the region\u2019s most beloved monthly traditions. She simply gave herself three months and trusted her instincts. More than two decades later, that leap of faith has grown into a community where vendors feel like family, shoppers feel like regulars, and history finds new homes every single month.<\/p>\n

A reminder that a fork in the road can lead to a lifetime of joy.<\/p>\n

\"hugging\"Marylon Rose, left, welcomes new vendor Allison Nord with a hug at the Sacramento Antique Faire. (Shelley Ho)<\/p>\n

Rob Stewart is an executive producer with PBS KVIE and reports for Abridged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Abridged version: The Sacramento Antique Faire comes to the old Sleep Train Arena parking lot the second…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202222,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[7999,121,123,122],"class_list":{"0":"post-202221","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sacramento","8":"tag-highlight","9":"tag-sacramento","10":"tag-sacramento-headlines","11":"tag-sacramento-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}