Get ready, Toronto — the pop-up market to end all pop-up markets is opening for one day only in a very special location this weekend. Two of the city’s biggest vendor markets, Hippie Market and The Welcome Market, are joining forces for a collaboration that they say has been years in the making. On Saturday, the former two-storey Anthropologie space on Queen West will be filled with over 50 of Toronto’s coolest shops, art, handmade goods, vintage treasures and more.
The building is a bit of an icon on Queen Street for its historic exterior (formerly a church) and sprawling 7,000-square-foot interior, featuring exposed brick, stained glass windows and seriously boho vibes. Anthropologie had occupied the building since 2015, and only recently vacated the space in January of this year. Clearly no new vendor has stepped up to take over the space permanently yet — but for now, Torontonians will benefit from the vacancy with the launch of this new market collaboration!
A video, posted jointly by Hippie Market and The Welcome Market, shows the now-empty space, and you can clearly see the vision for a massive vendor market. Wood flooring, old fireplaces, soaring ceilings and arched windows add to the vintage vibes of the space. Arguably the best part is the well-lit changing rooms, a remnant of the old Anthropologie store, which will make the shopping experience even more seamless (vintage clothes can be notoriously challenging when it comes to sizing).
It’s no surprise these two markets finally decided to merge (even if just for the day) — The Welcome Market currently occupies a space at 938 Queen St. W., and the park just across the street is often where Hippie Market pops-up during the summer months.
Now, the neighbours-turned-collaborators will bring a whole new shopping experience to the city with the pop-up market at 761 Queen St. W. Running from 11 a.m.–6 p.m., there will also be some drinks and snacks available.
