Niles Antique Faire 2016

nnnn

 The Niles Antique Faire was this last Sunday (8/28/16) and I was really looking forward to it.  Niles is an historic California movie town featuring silent movie stars Bronco Billy and Charlie Chaplin.  Niles is home to the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum where you can watch silent films, get a little history about them and sometimes see one of the stars at the screening.  I've been to it many times in the past and always enjoyed it.

The flea market is unlike any other that I've been to before.  The whole town participates.  The cub scouts handle the parking and as you walk towards the tiny downtown, you pass several garage sales hosted by the people who live there.  My friend Kathy and I got very tempted to spend all our $$ at these garage sales.  We marched on saying - catch it on the way out.  The downtown is entirely closed off to cars as well as the side streets.  There were over 200 vendors there with furniture, jewelry, clothes, toys and on and on.  Most vendors at the Antique Faire only accept cash or checks with very few exceptions.  It's best to bring cash.  Prices were good and more reasonable than at the Alameda flea market.  I found a vintage black leather Chanel wallet for only $22 and a very rare 1950's Barbie for only $5.

On the side streets of Niles, there were other garage sales and acts, including a puppet show and a college student singing to raise money for her education.  We ate lunch at Bronco Billy's Pizza Palace.  The place had a lot of old western memorabilia and red leather diner booths and stools.  And the food was excellent!

 Charlie in front of the biker bar - The Florence

 I bought one of these beauties for only $15

 Marilyn's stall

 Loved this jacket

 Vintage 1930's Shirley Temple doll

 Bob Marley by the exit

 Bronco Billy's Pizza Palace

 Puppet show

 Bronco Billy's & Charlie's shrine inside the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum

 The Little Tramp in Niles

Happy shopping!