From the vintage-car rally in Uzerche to the seaside Cap Ferret market and an apricot festival on the Vienne: eleven flea markets across New Aquitaine on July 18-19.
The weekend of July 18-19 marks the height of summer hunting season across New Aquitaine. Between the Périgord, the Limousin, the Poitou and the Basque-Landes coast, organisers make the most of high July to multiply professional fairs, village fêtes and niche gatherings. Where to start?
Our pick of the week goes to the Uzerche vintage-car weekend, which turns a Corrèze housing estate into one of the biggest motoring gatherings in the Limousin. But we also spotted a seaside market at Cap Ferret, a big attic fair in the southern Deux-Sèvres and an oddly charming "apricot gathering" on the banks of the Vienne. Eleven outings for this July 18-19 weekend, between large professional fairs and rural gems.
Uzerche vintage-car weekend and yard sales, the Limousin's biggest motoring meet (Corrèze)
Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, the Peyre estate near the swimming pool in Uzerche hosts the 48 hours of vintage vehicles, run by the Uzerche Auto-Rétro association on the traditional third weekend of July. Close to 300 exhibitors split between a swap meet for car, motorbike and model parts, a display of vintage vehicles of every make, and a classic yard sale.
It is one of the biggest motoring gatherings in the Limousin, a hybrid format that goes well beyond a simple yard sale to draw collectors and curious visitors from across the region. Best for those who enjoy hunting old objects as much as admiring vintage bodywork, in a festive, communal atmosphere.
Chénérailles antiques fair, the Creuse's professional fixture (Creuse)
Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, the gymnasium hall in Chénérailles, rue Michel Balandier, hosts its professional antiques and flea market fair, held every year in July. About sixty antiques and flea-market professionals set up for two days, from 9 am to 7 pm.
This event ranks among the Creuse's must-see hunting fixtures, with a higher standard than private-seller yard sales. Best for those after serious old furniture or collectibles rather than bric-a-brac, at the heart of the Limousin.
Chambon-sur-Voueize flea fair, hunting in an abbey town (Creuse)
Sunday July 19, the Comité des Fêtes of Chambon-sur-Voueize runs its flea fair, one of the biggest flea events in the Creuse. Close to 200 sellers, private and professional, fill the streets of the old town from 5 am to 5 pm.
Hunters wander the stalls in the lanes of this medieval town, dominated by its abbey church, one of the largest Romanesque churches in the Limousin. A high-turnout fixture worth reaching early, before the midday heat and crowds.
Châtellerault exhibition-park braderie, three days of sheltered shopping (Vienne)
From Friday July 17 to Sunday July 19, the Châtellerault exhibition park, rue du Chillou, hosts its annual braderie. Traders, stock-clearance sellers and flea-market dealers share a large covered hall for three days of exceptional selling.
It is one of the Vienne's major summer fixtures, with a far wider commercial range than a simple flea market: clearance stock, furniture, textiles and collectibles all sit under one roof. Best in case of rain or heat, since everything happens under cover.
Vouneuil-sur-Vienne apricot gathering, hunting with a fruity twist (Vienne)
Sunday July 19, the Pied Sec hamlet in Vouneuil-sur-Vienne hosts the Apricot Gathering, an original summer event combining a yard sale, a village fête and a celebration of seasonal fruit, in this Grand Châtellerault village on the banks of the Vienne.
The name alone is worth the detour: alongside the usual flea stalls, people come for the friendly, traditional atmosphere typical of Poitou village fêtes. A human-scale gem, far from the bustle of the big professional fairs, for a family outing by the water.
Sainte-Soline attic fair and flea market, the big fixture of the southern Deux-Sèvres (Deux-Sèvres)
Sunday July 19, 16 chemin de Couhe in Sainte-Soline hosts one of the major summer attic fairs of the southern Deux-Sèvres. About 225 sellers, mixing private households clearing out their attics with professional flea-market dealers, set up in this small, authentically rural village.
Entry is free, with a bar and catering on site to last the whole day. The sheer scale of the event, unusual for a village this size, makes it a stop not to miss for hunters from the southern Deux-Sèvres and the neighbouring Charentes.
Festibroc des Essards, festive hunting on the banks of the Dronne (Charente)
Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, the chemin de la rivière in Les Essards, southern Charente, hosts the Festibroc, a lively open-air flea market set up on the banks of the Dronne. Around 200 sellers offer furniture, knick-knacks, clothes and second-hand objects.
The event stands out for its openly festive spirit: fairground rides, fireworks and a mussels-and-fries evening punctuate the two days, well beyond a simple clearance. Best for a family outing that mixes hunting with a fairground fête, in a natural setting by the water.
Monflanquin antiques flea market fair, professional hunting in a bastide (Lot-et-Garonne)
Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, the Place des Arcades and rue Sainte-Marie in Monflanquin host the Antiques Flea Market Fair, reserved for professionals: 35 antiques and flea-market dealers set up every summer. Entry is free.
Monflanquin is one of the finest bastides in the Lot-et-Garonne, and its 13th-century architecture elevates this tightly curated selection of professional dealers. Best for those after quality pieces rather than a rummage through a generalist yard sale, with the village itself as a bonus.
Belle Brocante du Cap Ferret, upscale hunting between pines and ocean (Gironde)
From Saturday July 18, the Belle Brocante du Cap Ferret opens its season on Place Michel Martin, at the heart of the peninsula's legendary village. Dealers and hunters gather in an exceptional setting between maritime pines and the ocean.
Seaside furniture, vintage objects, antique crockery and curiosities make up an offer as charming as the village itself. Best for a summer escape that blends hunting with the Arcachon Bay atmosphere, far from the big professional fairs further inland.
Gastes lakeside yard sale, hunting with your feet in the water (Landes)
Sunday July 19, 850 avenue du Lac in Gastes hosts a yard sale by the lake of Cazaux and Sanguinet, in an exceptional natural setting. Pitches cost 3 euros per linear metre, entry is free for visitors, from 8 am to 6 pm.
A bar and catering on site let you stretch the day out between two swims. A Landes gem best for combining a relaxed hunt with the cool of the lake, far from the bustle of the big urban flea markets.
Brocante des Halles de Pau, the Béarn's monthly fixture (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
Sunday July 19, the third Sunday of the month, the emblematic Halles de Pau, at 8 rue Carnot, host their monthly flea market. More than twenty professional dealers offer books, art objects, furniture and curiosities from 9 am to 3 pm.
Entry is free, and the architecture of the covered market gives this flea market an urban character quite different from open-field yard sales. Best for a morning of hunting in the centre of Pau, easy to combine with a stroll along the boulevard des Pyrénées.
Also worth a look this weekend in New Aquitaine
To explore the hunting picks of other regions, head to our national agenda. Safe travels and happy hunting on the roads of New Aquitaine this July 18-19.
