***Booking are now closed for 2023, and will reopen at the end of January 2024 for next season***
Please keep an eye out on socials so you don't miss the boat :-)
Welcome! Thank you for your interest in Bedford Flea, Affordable Art & Local Produce Market 2023.
We pride ourselves on supporting and promoting local businesses with a focus on quality. Each event is carefully curated to ensure an exciting and balanced mix of vintage/flea sellers, local artists and local food and drink producers.
Even though our applications are always open, we do book our whole calendar of markets at the start of the year. So please tick all of the dates you think you'd like to attend now.
2023 PRICING:
FLEA
£49 for a single stall
Covered, charter market with blue canopies 3m x 3m
No tables are provided.
AFFORDABLE ART:
£40 for a pitch
Covered, approx 2m x 3m using our a-boards as main display
LOCAL PRODUCE:
£35 with your own gazebo, 3m x 3m
No tables are provided.
Your gazebo must be heavyweight, pop-up and not self-assembly - preferably with a hex frame - suitable for high winds and rain. You must use weights.
**If you sell alcohol, you will need to provide your own TEN licence**
CATEGORIES TO APPLY FOR:Please read through these carefully before applying to ensure your products/business fits in to one of our areas:
FLEA: Quality, second-hand goods: vintage, antiques, retro, kitsch, collectibles, old books, second-hand vinyl, architectural salvage, oddities, curiosities and rarities, preloved vintage clothing (not fast fashion). Well loved items that have been repurposed/ given a new lease of life may be considered.
AFFORDABLE ART: 2D art mediums including painting, drawing, photography, illustration, print making, textiles and anything that can be displayed flat on an a-board/browser.
NB: we cannot accept jewellery, ceramics, knitting etc at this time. This is not just due to our display boards, but also because we work closely with other crafter and makers market organisers in the town and we are keen to differentiate ourselves ensuring all the markets have their own unique offering.
LOCAL PRODUCE: Locally grown, or locally handmade/produced food and drink items. Skincare and dining related items will be accepted such as candles, food boards, hand creams and soaps, wax wraps etc.
HOT FOOD: Meals prepared to consume in situ on the market. e.g. sourdough pizzas, curries, pancakes etc.
TO TRADE YOU WILL NEED:
> Public Liability Insurance
If this is new to you, then there are plenty of affordable options and if you're successful, we can help point you in the right direction. For the art section, this starts from as little as £2.50/month with someone like axisweb or a-n. Food, drink and Flea options are available for around £70 for the year.
> Local Produce and Hot Food only:
If applicable to your business, you will have to provide all the up to date paperwork to comply with council and food trading standards e.g. basic hygiene certification, gas safety, PAT tested equipment
WHEN WILL I FIND OUT IF I'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL?
All applicants will be contacted directly via the email provided. Please do be patient, as we receive an incredibly high volume of applications. If you are not successful this time around, please don't be disheartened. As much as we would love to, there is just not the space for everyone. We always recommend other options/other local markets that you might also like to apply to so you can keep going with your small business journey.
SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS:
If you're successful, we will send through booking forms that will need completing and signing ASAP.
You will then be an official stallholder on our books, woohoo! You also get access to the Flea Family Community facebook page which is an awesome resource for small, grass-roots businesses like yourselves. You can ask all sorts of questions or post about your new products, or get feedback on your current ones.
Sound good? Then get ready to apply!
Any questions about the application process, do drop us an email over at
bedfordflea@gmail.com or message us on social media.
We're super excited to get this show on the road and are very much looking forward to growing this together with you. Let’s showcase the best of Bedford and beyond!
Good luck, and, whether you're successful or not this time around, do come along to the markets and enjoy the atmosphere on our busy, bustling market square.
Talia and Laura
Team Flea
x