From Cambrai's summer sale to Flixecourt's 150 sellers, taking in the rederies of the Somme: eleven spots to hunt this July 4-5 weekend.
It is the first weekend of July, and the summer hunting season settles in for good across Hauts-de-France. Saturday the 4th stays on a human scale: shopkeepers' sale in Armentières, champagne-capsule collectors' fair in Château-Thierry, a seaside car boot sale in the Vimeu. It is on Sunday the 5th that the region shifts up a gear, with a genuine two-part score: the Somme brings out its village rederies, while the Nord and the Oise unfurl their big town braderies.
A quiet Saturday or a teeming Sunday? My hunter's tip: use Saturday for the quiet sell-offs and the specialist fairs, then keep Sunday for the big gatherings, where you hunt from street to street. My pick of the week goes to the Lucheux rederie, a listed medieval village in the north of the Somme where you rummage the stalls at the foot of a fortified castle. Here are the eleven sell-offs I have selected, from the capsules of the Aisne to the rederies of the Santerre.
Cambrai Summer Sale, 300 sellers in the heart of the Cambrésis (Nord)
Sunday July 5, the Cambrai Summer Sale takes over the town-centre streets around place Aristide Briand. Run by the town hall, it gathers around 300 exhibitors mixing shopkeepers and private sellers, making it one of the big dates of the first July weekend in the Nord.
The weekend plays out in two acts: Saturday is given over to the pre-sale of Cambrai's shopkeepers, while Sunday hosts the great open-to-all braderie-brocante. This is the urban format at its finest, where you walk the central arteries without ever reaching the end of the stalls. Arrive early for the cool morning air and the finest early finds, then continue with a visit to the town of the two belfries and its famous andouillette. An ideal morning of hunting to launch the Sunday.
Crépy-en-Valois Antiques Fair, 41st edition in the medieval town (Oise)
Sunday July 5, the Crépy-en-Valois Antiques Fair celebrates its 41st edition. It is held on rue Jeanne d'Arc, at the heart of old Crépy, between the ramparts and the cobbled lanes of this former capital of the Valois.
Four decades have built the reputation of this event, which draws lovers of fine pieces and antiques from across the Valois and far beyond. The setting makes the difference: few flea markets offer such a medieval backdrop, between old façades and historic remains. You will find both the affordable trinket and the piece of furniture sought after by antique dealers. It is the Sunday date to favour if you like to combine hunting with a heritage stroll, in a town that is worth the trip from the south of the Oise on its own.
Flixecourt Flea Market and Car Boot Sale, 150 sellers north of Amiens (Somme)
Sunday July 5, the Flixecourt Flea Market and Car Boot Sale announces 150 sellers. It is set up around the Bar tabac l'Usine on rue de Verdun, in this former industrial town of the Nièvre valley, with the prestigious past of the Saint Frères mills.
At this scale, the sell-off is as much a vast car boot sale as a neighbourhood fête: it draws hunters from north of Amiens and across the valley. You will find the classic family bric-a-brac, crockery, clothes, toys and second-hand furniture, at soft prices. The town, marked by its textile history, adds a touch of working-class memory to the wander between stalls. It is the date to target in the Somme if you are after volume and the popular atmosphere of a big small-town flea market. Bring some cash and good shoes.
Armentières Shopkeepers' Sale, hunting in the Flemish textile town (Nord)
Saturday July 4, the Armentières Shopkeepers' Sale sets up on place du Général de Gaulle and the adjoining town-centre streets. Run by the town, it lets Armentières shopkeepers offer their goods at reduced prices, while private sellers take over the pavements to clear out attics and cellars.
It is one of the rare big Saturday dates this weekend, ideal for those who want a head start before the Sunday bustle. Armentières, a historic textile town of the Flanders a stone's throw from Belgium, gives this day of hunting a lively, popular setting. People come as much for the shopkeepers' bargains as for the private sellers' sell-off, in the spirit of the great braderies of the Nord. A convivial outing to open the weekend on the border side.
Dallon Flea Market, two days of hunting at the gates of Saint-Quentin (Aisne)
Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5, the Dallon Flea Market spreads its stalls across the public square and the streets of this small village at the gates of Saint-Quentin. Private sellers and professionals meet here for this annual date that has become a classic of the Saint-Quentin area.
It is one of the rare two-day events of the weekend, an asset for hunters who want to take their time: you can do a first scout on Saturday and come back to bargain on Sunday. The rural setting and the village atmosphere give this sell-off a particular charm, far from the tarmac of town centres. You will meet the regulars from across the district, who come to roam the streets in search of good deals. A human-scale flea market, perfect for a gentle start to the summer season in the Aisne.
Bully-les-Mines Flea Market, the mining-basin tradition (Pas-de-Calais)
Sunday July 5, the Bully-les-Mines Flea Market is held on boulevard Alfred François and the surrounding streets, in this town of the Pas-de-Calais mining basin. This popular event gathers hundreds of private and professional exhibitors.
The Lens basin is one of the most active areas in the region for sell-offs, and this flea market carries its working-class memory. People come for the popular atmosphere as much as for the low-priced finds: second-hand objects, clothes, toys and home decor stretch as far as the eye can see. It is the format to favour on Sunday if you are after volume and the buzz of the great markets of the mining Nord. A sincere, accessible date, rooted in the history of a land that made solidarity a second nature.
Lucheux Rederie, hunting at the foot of a medieval fortified castle (Somme)
Sunday July 5, the Lucheux Rederie is held in the town-hall park with around forty private sellers. My pick of the week: this village, listed among the most picturesque in the north of the Somme, holds exceptional heritage, a fortified castle, a belfry tower and a church listed as a historic monument.
The appeal lies here as much in the setting as in the stalls. Hunting in Lucheux means walking a site steeped in history, between medieval remains and a rural backdrop, a world away from urban braderies. The intimate format, around forty sellers, lets you take your time to dig without the crush of the big gatherings. It is the outing to book for anyone who likes to mix hunting with heritage discovery. A unique experience, to round off with a climb to the castle and the belfry tower that overlook this Doullens-area village.
Berck Table Tennis Flea Market, hunting at the seaside (Pas-de-Calais)
Sunday July 5, the Berck Table Tennis Flea Market is held on rue des Pâtres, in Berck. Run by the local table tennis club, it offers a convivial day of open-air hunting in a residential district of this Opal Coast seaside resort.
Why choose between hunting and the beach? The seaside format has its charm: you rummage in the morning, then head to the sand in the afternoon, all under the salty air of the Authie bay. Carried by the volunteers of a table tennis club, this charity flea market keeps a neighbourhood spirit and funds the sporting year. You will find the family bric-a-brac at soft prices, in a good-natured atmosphere. It is the date to combine with a day at the sea, between Berck's long beaches, its famous kite festival and the seals of the nearby bay. An ideal seaside hunting outing for families.
Château-Thierry Champagne-Capsule Collectors' Fair, the placomusophiles' date (Aisne)
Saturday July 4, the Château-Thierry Champagne-Capsule Collectors' Fair brings together the placomusophiles, those collectors of champagne capsules, at the village hall, 11 bis rue de Fère. The event is held on the first Saturday of each month, from 1.30pm to 6pm.
Fancy stepping off the beaten track? This is a complete change of register: no bric-a-brac, but a specialist, passionate fair devoted to exchanges between collectors. Run by Gérard Claude, the fair welcomes between 50 and 100 participants who come to swap and complete their series, in the hushed spirit of connoisseurs' meetings. It is the format to target for anyone after the rare capsule, the elusive piece of a vanished cuvée or the pleasure of trading with enthusiasts. In Château-Thierry, birthplace of La Fontaine and gateway to Champagne, this low-key fair is a lovely curiosity for opening the Saturday differently.
Molliens-Dreuil Rederie, around a hundred sellers in the Somme valley (Somme)
Sunday July 5, the Molliens-Dreuil Rederie gathers around 100 private sellers on rue de la Gare. This town of the Somme valley, between Amiens and Poix-de-Picardie, keeps alive the Picardy tradition of the great neighbourly hunting days.
The rederie is the Picardy word for the car boot sale, and Molliens-Dreuil gives a fine version of it: around a hundred amateur sellers, an authentic village atmosphere and low-priced finds along the stalls. It is one of the well-loved dates on the hunting calendar of the south-west Amiens area, far from the big urban sell-offs. People come for the pleasure of digging without pressure, chatting with locals and leaving with an object that has a story to tell. A rural, convivial interlude, typical of the dense network of rederies that liven up the Somme's Sundays.
Ochtezeele Car Boot Sale, hunting in an inland Flanders village (Nord)
Sunday July 5, the Ochtezeele Car Boot Sale takes over rue Principale and rue de la Mairie of this small Flemish village of 900 residents. Run by the Senior Citizens' Association, it gathers around fifty sellers between Cassel and Wormhout, deep in inland Flanders.
The setting has everything going for it: you hunt here in an authentic rural backdrop, at the foot of the Flanders hills and their windmills, far from the bustle of the coast. The village-scale, low-key format, around fifty stands, lets you dig quietly and make lovely finds. It is the kind of gem that makes the charm of the region: a sincere car boot sale, carried by volunteers, in a village that breathes Flanders. Combine it with a climb up nearby Mont Cassel, one of the finest panoramas in the Nord, and a tasty stop in a local estaminet.
Also worth a look this weekend in Hauts-de-France
For more regional weekend picks, head to our national agenda. Happy hunting.
