Brocante and Car Boot Sale Utah Beach of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont

The Utah Beach Flea Market of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, 120 Exhibitors and Militaria

Sainte-Marie-du-Mont (50480) is a village on the Cotentin Peninsula, located opposite Utah Beach, one of the five beaches of the Normandy Landings of June 6, 1944. It is in this historically rich setting that the association Les Amis d'Utah Beach organizes an annual flea market and car boot sale with 120 exhibitors, featuring a strong presence of militaria and collectible items related to the Second World War.

This event is unique in the Manche region for its theme: while the car boot sale offers the usual items (clothing, crockery, books, trinkets), the presence of numerous exhibitors specializing in militaria — uniforms, medals, insignia, photographs, documents, military equipment — attracts an audience of collectors and history enthusiasts from all over northern France and even abroad.

Les Amis d'Utah Beach, Guardians of the Memory of the Landings

The association Les Amis d'Utah Beach is dedicated to preserving and transmitting the memory of the Allied landings of June 6, 1944 on Utah Beach, where American soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division set foot on Norman soil. The association supports the Utah Beach Museum, one of the most visited D-Day museums in Normandy, and organizes commemorative and cultural events throughout the year.

The flea market and car boot sale with a militaria specialty is one of the association's fundraising and outreach activities. It brings together history enthusiasts, collectors, and the general public in an event open to all, which helps keep the memory of the D-Day landings alive in local and national consciousness.

Utah Beach, Landing Beach of June 6, 1944

On June 6, 1944, at dawn, American soldiers of the US 4th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach, at the foot of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and the dunes of the eastern Cotentin coast. Despite German defenses, the landing on this beach was one of the least costly of the five D-Day beaches, with approximately 200 American casualties out of 23,000 men landed during the day.

Today, Utah Beach is a major memorial site. The Utah Beach Museum, inaugurated in 1962 and completely renovated in 2011, welcomes several hundred thousand visitors each year. The beach features several commemorative monuments, including a Sherman tank and a landing craft. The village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, liberated on June 6, 1944, is intimately linked to this history.

120 Exhibitors Between Car Boot Sale and Militaria

The Utah Beach flea market offers an original mix between a traditional car boot sale and a militaria fair. On one hand, private exhibitors offering clothing, crockery, books, toys, and various trinkets. On the other, specialized collectors and dealers exhibiting American and German uniforms, medals, insignia, period photographs, military documents, war postcards, and various pieces of equipment. A unique event of its kind in the Manche region.