It’s one thing to vend at a vintage market, but what if you’re the one organizing it?

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As any show promoter knows, getting vendors to sign on is just the beginning. The real challenge? Getting foot traffic through the doors. That’s where your promotion strategy needs to shine.

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In this member-led workshop, Kara Bowles of reDiscovered on Marsh shared her insights as the current promoter of the long-running Thornbury Antiques Show in Ontario.

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Kara gave the Vintage Sellers Community a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to get people buzzing about a local event.

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Kara and her husband Dan have been in the antiques business for over 30 years as Bowles Hilltop Antiques, and their shop in Clarksburg, Ontario, called reDiscovered on Marsh, is a staple for vintage and antique lovers in the region.

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When the opportunity arose to take over the Thornbury show’s promotion, Kara stepped in with her decades of selling experience and a strong sense of what shoppers want.

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In the session, she walked through the marketing timeline she follows in the months leading up to the event, including when she starts teasing on social media, when she ramps up local outreach, and how she makes use of posters, local press and vendor promotion to get the word out.

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She also shared the content formats that work best for her, and why boots-on-the-ground efforts like signage and community connections still make a huge impact.

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This real-world case study offered a solid roadmap for sellers and show hosts alike: promote early and promote often.

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