From Maroilles and its 600 sellers to the Le Touquet flea market and the Picardy réderies: eleven spots to hunt this June 20-21 weekend in northern France.
The solstice is near, the days are stretching out and the hunting calendar is heating up across the Nord and Picardy. On Saturday, Amiens lines up its antique dealers at the foot of the cathedral while Dunkirk empties its neighbourhood attics. But it is on Sunday that the weekend hits full stride: 600 sellers spread out through the streets of Maroilles, the Le Touquet flea market fills the covered hall, and from Montdidier to Lumbres almost every town brings out its trestle tables.
My hunter's tip: keep Saturday for the curated finds of Amiens, then save your Sunday for the big village sell-offs, where you hunt by the metre and prices stay soft. My pick of the week goes to Maroilles, one of the largest gatherings in the Avesnois, worth the trip as much for the cheese as for the rummaging. Here is a tour of the eleven events I have picked, from the Boulonnais to the Santerre.
Maroilles Flea Market, 600 sellers in the cheese village (Nord)
Sunday June 21, the Maroilles Flea Market is one of the flagship events of the Avesnois. Every third Sunday of June, more than 600 sellers take over the 6,000 metres of pavement in this village famous for its protected-origin cheese. Organised by the Maroilles cultural and artistic association, it unfolds its stalls in a remarkable heritage setting, along the streets and around the abbey church.
Music bands, clowns and acrobats set the pace of the day, making it as much a village fête as a hunting ground. This is the one to target if you want the big, convivial sell-off, with the chance to leave carrying a piece of furniture, a trinket and a fine wedge of maroilles. Arrive early: at this scale, the best pieces go from first light.
Montdidier Flea Market, 130 sellers in the medieval town (Somme)
Sunday June 21, the Montdidier Flea Market is one of the leading dates of the hunting calendar in the eastern Somme. With 130 sellers announced, it stands as a regional benchmark and draws hunters from the Santerre, from Picardy and well beyond. The stalls fill the streets of this former sub-prefecture with its rich medieval past.
The setting counts as much as the hunt: you wander among the old façades of a hilltop town overlooking the Santerre plain. An urban yet human-scale format, the event blends the pleasure of rummaging with a heritage stroll. A fine Sunday option for anyone keen to combine a sizeable flea market with the discovery of a town too often driven through without a stop.
Puces Amiénoises at Jardin Dufau, professional hunting below the cathedral (Somme)
Saturday June 20, the Puces Amiénoises at Jardin Dufau is the monthly date for professional brocante in Amiens. Organised by Amiens Métropole at the foot of Notre-Dame cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it gathers 20 to 30 selected antique dealers, brocante traders and vintage-clothing sellers.
This is the format to favour if you are after quality rather than volume: furniture, objets d'art, prints and fine vintage pieces win out here over the bric-a-brac. The June edition, on a Saturday, is among the liveliest of the season. Combine it with a visit to the Saint-Leu district and its canals, a short walk away. A morning of refined hunting, in one of the finest urban settings in Picardy.
Valentin Haüy Association Solidarity Flea Market in Laon (Aisne)
Sunday June 21, the Valentin Haüy Association Flea Market is held on place Victor Hugo and inside the Halles of Laon, from 8am to 6pm. Organised in aid of people with visual impairments, this solidarity event offers all sorts of objects to hunt; entry is free and the proceeds support the care of the blind and partially sighted.
Beyond the good cause, the setting is worth the trip: Laon, perched on its ridge, is one of the finest art towns in the Aisne, crowned by its cathedral and its emblematic towers. Hunting here means combining a useful gesture with a stroll through the upper town. Human-scale format, kind-hearted atmosphere: an endearing date for anyone who likes to give meaning to a day of hunting.
La Chapelle-d'Armentières Car Boot Sale, 305 sellers in the Lys valley (Nord)
Sunday June 21, the La Chapelle-d'Armentières Car Boot Sale gathers around 305 sellers from 7am to 3.30pm. Run by the secular school's friends' association, it spreads along rue Omer Ollivier, Cours Constantine and rue Alexandre Dumas, and ranks among the largest in the Armentières area.
The event draws hunters from across the Lys valley, in this town bordering the Lille metropolis. A large-scale car boot sale, it gives pride of place to private sellers and low-priced finds: toys, crockery, furniture and clothes abound. It is the family-friendly, popular format par excellence, ideal for an unpretentious morning of hunting, a stone's throw from Belgium and Flanders.
Gizy Flea Market, hunting meets the asparagus fair (Aisne)
Sunday June 21, the Gizy Flea Market is held on place François Mitterrand, from 7am to 6pm. Run by the Flag association, it has the distinctive feature of pairing a sell-off of 100 to 200 sellers with the asparagus fair, the emblematic vegetable of this part of the Thiérache. Pitches cost 1 € per linear metre and entry is free.
This blend of hunting and local produce gives the day a singular flavour: you rummage the stalls in the morning, then taste the local asparagus at noon. On-site catering lets you linger, in a convivial, foodie village atmosphere. It is one of those hybrid events where people come as much for the plate as for the find. A lovely Sunday escape into the rural Laonnois.
Vallée du Cellier Flea Market in Noeux-les-Mines (Pas-de-Calais)
Sunday June 21, the Vallée du Cellier Flea Market brings around a hundred sellers together in Noeux-les-Mines for a day of open-air hunting. This large gathering of brocante traders and private sellers offers a considerable choice: furniture, crockery, clothes and trinkets are laid out in number.
The Vallée du Cellier, a green setting at the gates of Béthune, lends the event a particular charm, far from the tarmac of town centres. A spacious, airy format, it suits hurried hunters and strollers alike. The Lens mining basin is one of the most active areas in the region for sell-offs, and this summer edition is a fine way in. Bring walking shoes and a sharp eye.
Varesnes Musical Flea Market, hunting, vintage cars and music (Oise)
Sunday June 21, the Varesnes Musical Flea Market is held on the village football pitch, in the Noyonnais. Run by the Hauts de Gamme association, it stands out with an original concept: alongside the traditional flea market come a vintage car display and live music throughout the day.
This mix of genres makes for an outing of its own, where you hunt to the sound of music between two gleaming car bodies. The mood is more festive than studious, ideal for a family day where everyone finds something, from lovers of fine mechanics to vinyl diggers. It is the original gem of the weekend for those who want to step beyond the classic sell-off and turn hunting into a genuine celebration.
Lumbres BMX Flea Market, hunting along the Aa (Pas-de-Calais)
Sunday June 21, the Lumbres BMX Flea Market takes place at the Marais de Lumbres, a preserved natural site along the Aa river. Run by the local BMX club, this unusual event pairs hunting with the world of off-road cycling, in a green setting that breaks radically with urban sell-offs.
The appeal is twofold: you stroll between the stalls while enjoying a natural environment, away from the bustle of the big braderies. The format stays convivial and family-friendly, carried by the volunteers of a club rooted in its area, on the edge of the Audomarois and its marshes. A green, original outing for those who like to mix hunting with fresh air, in one of the prettiest corners of inland Pas-de-Calais.
Lapin Blanc Car Boot Sale in Dunkirk, neighbourhood spirit by the sea (Nord)
Saturday June 20, the Lapin Blanc Car Boot Sale is organised by the Banc Vert residents' association, on rue du Lapin Blanc. This neighbourhood car boot sale brings the residents of this part of Dunkirk together for a convivial, good-natured day of hunting; entry is free for all.
This is a long way from the crowded big sell-offs: here it is all about neighbourly spirit, unlikely finds and the soft prices of private sellers. It is the format to target on Saturday, when you want to hunt at leisure before the Sunday crush. And the sea is never far: once the bargains are wrapped up, the great beach of Malo-les-Bains and its promenade are calling. A coastal, popular interlude, typically Dunkirk.
Les Puces du Touquet at the covered market (Pas-de-Calais)
Sunday June 21, Les Puces du Touquet is held at the Covered Market, 31 rue Jean Monnet. Every second Sunday of the month, around forty brocante traders and antique dealers offer old furniture, objets d'art, trinkets and curiosities, in this emblematic spot of the seaside resort.
The covered sell-off has a major advantage: hunting is sheltered from the fickle weather of the Opal Coast, and you take your time among the selected stands. Le Touquet adds its chic cachet to the affair, between Belle Époque villas and seafront. Combine it with a walk along the promenade or through the forest, for a full day where hunting meets seaside charm. A refined format, ideal for lovers of fine pieces.
Also worth a look this weekend in Hauts-de-France
For more regional weekend picks, head to our national agenda. Happy hunting.
