Thrift market to focus on sustainability

A NEW kind of market is coming to Ballarat to give people access to a range of pre-loved items while keeping things out of landfill.

Ballarat’s inaugural Big Thrift Market will showcase a range of recycled wares at Federation University’s SMB campus off Lydiard Street later this month.

The market’s founder and director, Lyndelle Flintoft, said a key driver behind the event is to offer a family outing with a focus on sustainability.

“I’m an avid op shopper and for me it’s always about connecting communities but also being sustainable,” she said. “I don’t really agree with fast fashion.

“We’ve started this to keep clothes out of landfill and moving around and make it fashionable to do so.

“We’ll have about 70 stalls with vintage finds and even furniture and vinyl, and 10 food trucks, DJs, [and] a mobile barber.

“We want to make this a big family event where people can shop, and make shopping second-hand more normal.”

With 15 years’ experience in events management, Ms Flintoft is also involved in putting on the Design Exchange, which runs twice a year, as well as Torquay’s Nightjar Festival which saw 55,000 attendees pre-COVID. “With our team, we were talking about what we want to do next,” she said. “Sustainability has always been a huge part of what we do and we’re living in communities that are struggling financially as well so it just made sense to do it.”

The Big Thrift Market will run from 2pm to 8pm on Saturday 16 November. The initiative is expected to debut in Torquay in January following the Ballarat event.

Entry is $5 for adults as well as children aged between 12 and 17, and free those under 12.