The Highlands United Church Flea Market is a massive market featuring second-hand goods in North Vancouver’s Edgemont Village in mid-October each year.
After taking a year off in 2020, the market returned in 2021. It took place that year on Saturday, October 16th. In 2022 the event happened on Saturday, October 15th. The Highlands United Church Flea Market is no longer being held as an annual flea market. Instead, it will be transitioning as a permanent thrift store housed in the lower floor of the church as of 2024. In the interim, the church will still be hosting a flea market of sorts – pop-up thrift sales – throughout the year.
Highlands United Church Flea Market
In 2022 the Highlands United Church Flea Market took place on Saturday, October 15th, from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm. It’s a gigantic event and people come from all across the Lower Mainland to find bargains at the sale.
As an annual flea market in the past, product categories included antiques and collectibles, used books, chinaware and silverware, Halloween and Christmas items, clothing, fabrics, hardware, jewellery, kitchenware, linens, pictures and art, and shoes and handbags. These products will likely continue to be sold when the flea market becomes a permanent thrift store in 2024.
The church’s address is 3255 Edgemont Boulevard in North Vancouver. It’s about a 10-minute drive south of Grouse Mountain. Admission is normally free.
Tips & Advice
Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of your experience at the flea market.
TIP #1: If you like flea markets, bargains and second-hand goods, you’ll love this event! It’s very much a flea market (though transitioning to a permanent thrift store in the lower floor of the church in 2024) – you’ll find every kind of previously-used product at the event – and it’s a big one.
TIP #2: Plastic bags are normally provided if you need them, but organizers encourage people to bring along their own reusable bags.
TIP #3: You’ll find fabulous deals at the Highlands United Church Flea Market. There’s usually a “no price bargaining” policy as everything is priced to sell in support of the extensive range of community work the church does on the North Shore. So you’ll get great deals and benefit a worthwhile cause at the same time.
TIP #4: Payment is cash only (or at least that was the case in 2022).
TIP #5: For the best selection of items, go at the very beginning of the event. For the best prices though, go at the end (because there might be deals to be had later in the day).
TIP #6: There is usually food at the event, so go with an appetite. In previous years the youth of the church put on a café with coffee and sweets. BBQ favourites like burgers were also available. This may or may not be the case again in 2023.
TIP #7: Unless you already live on the North Shore, combine your trip to the flea market with a visit to other places of interest in the area. The Capilano River Regional Park and the Cleveland Dam are both close by, for example, and North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay is another interesting place to shop.
Other Information
For more details about the event, see the Highlands Church website.
To learn more about the area, see our articles about North Vancouver or the North Shore.
Another amazing event you might want to check out is the Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market which takes place in Abbotsford in November and then again in the spring. It features high-quality vintage goods. Or, for just basic flea market-style sales, check out either of the following (which take place weekly throughout the year):
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver on a Budget
- Vancouver’s October Calendar
- Free Events in October
- Best Autumn Places in the Lower Mainland
- Vancouver Christmas Craft Fairs
