Antiques, vintage art will create old-time atmosphere

Downtown Camas has long offered residents and visitors a chance to step back in time. Classic car shows, family festivals and other events can make Fourth Avenue feel like a street from another era.

That feeling of nostalgia will be back again, thanks to the Vintage and Art Street Faire on Saturday, Aug. 27. The event will feature more than 60 vendors selling antique furniture, decorations, paintings, glass art, woodwork and more.

The fair is hosted by Camas Antiques, which has sold vintage pieces of every variety for 12 years. Vendor space in the street fair is rented by those who currently have a market space in Camas Antiques, and many vendors are planning on bringing completely new items to the event.

One such vendor is Mary Shupe, who has been selling antique and vintage items for about four years. Shupe came into the antiques business after quitting her longtime job in the tech field in favor of something more fulfilling.

“It’s just fun to me,” she said. “These pieces have a look to them that you just can’t find in new stuff.”

Shupe specializes in hand-made art pieces inside old picture frames.

Deanna Docksteader, another vendor in the street fair, shares Shupe’s opinion.

“I think people love holding on to a piece of the past,” she said. “People love that nostalgia.”

For Docksteader and many in the business, antiques are a full-time job. She said she is always looking for pieces she can display, and always searching for that next big piece. Docksteader has had a vendor space at Camas Antiques for four years, where she emphasizes repurposing antique items into art pieces.

The vintage fair will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Friday and Saturday there will be a sale at Camas Antiques, located at 305 NE Fourth Ave.

The street fair will feature live music, food vendors and refreshments. Visit downtowncamas.com/events-and-festivals/the-camas-vintage-art-faire for a full list of participating vendors.

“I think vintage and antique pieces last longer,” Shupe said.

And thanks to the atmosphere of downtown Camas, the allure of these antiques will be around even longer.