Beautifully Gathered
Sisters Create An Enchanted Vintage Market…
When the opening bell rings and shoppers begin to flood through the doors on Market Day, there’s a definitive buzz in the air – an all-encompassing sense of wonder and excitement that washes over the room. The effervescent, collective rush to find the perfect treasure is almost palpable. It’s easy to see the beautifully curated booths, teeming with vintage, antique and handmade treasures. What might be harder to conceptualize is how that perfect mixture of vendors came together.
Keri Ferguson and Cara Arnott know what it means to gather a special blend of people and beautiful pieces together. The creative sisters, originally from Portland, Ore., have been honing their talents and passion for vintage and antiques for a lifetime.
“We spent a lot of time with our grandparents, and I developed an appreciation for the memories that vintage items brough back to me. I feel like I’ve had a connection to the vintage world with my sister forever. Buying, selling, and creating was a way to stay connected even though we were states away,” says Ferguson.
“As a little girl, I was fascinated with vintage treasures. My first collection started because my grandmother let me play with her tin of beautiful old buttons. To this day, it’s the first thing I look for at estate sales,” says Arnott.
Their creative connection truly began as a family affair.
“We were competitive figure skaters and actually won a competition skating together,” says Ferguson. “Ice skating involved the entire family. Dad built the ice show props and Mother did the costume designs.”
“We were early-to-bed, early-to-rise children, on the ice by 6 am before school and back to the rink after school,” says Arnott. “With this hectic training schedule, we didn’t have a lot of extra time for arts and crafts. That’s why we enjoy creating as adults. I do remember making ornaments with our mother, who was a textile artist, during the holidays.”
Working together on the ice as children helped nurture a different side of their creativity and solidified them as partners, not only in sisterhood, but in what building success could look like when you work together.
In 2025, after years of vending in local and regional vintage and antique markets, Ferguson and Arnott decided it was time to pioneer a show of their own. For the sisters, the goal has been to create a market from the vendors’ perspective – one with a community-centered vibe that feels like an experience for shoppers. Enchanted Vintage Market, which will embark on its fourth run this fall, has already become something vendors and shoppers alike look forward to.
On Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10 at the Shasta District Fairgrounds in Anderson, the Enchanted Vintage Market will delight the community again, with a shopping experience coupled with fabulous sweet and savory eats.
The venue allows for a grand mix of vendors. “We want our customers to feel the energy that the vendors and organizers put into the event. Without the recognition of great vendors, you don’t really have an event,” says Ferguson.
Arnott says it takes “hard work and a great deal of networking and communicating” to bring such a diverse mix of vendors together so cohesively. Adds Ferguson, “It is a challenge to match the right market setting to the style of the goods. Not every market is the right showcase for certain products. As organizers, we envision a variety for our shoppers, so it isn’t about the size of the show, but the quality offered.”
The Enchanted Vintage Market features a stellar mix of genuine vintage and antiques, upcycled furniture, reworked flannel shirts, vintage clothing, handcrafted jewelry and skin care products, vintage and new artwork, and even the rusty, crusty metal elements that add just the right touch of character to your home or garden.
Ferguson, who owns KC Farmhouse Mercantile in Cottonwood, does much of the online and administrative work behind the scenes for the Enchanted Vintage Market. “The market concept begins with a theme – finding an inspiration, a photo, a dream, or a color palette. We agree on the look and then we’re off and running. We share our ideas and divide our duties as needed,” says Ferguson. “We are planning an event, not just a market.”
Arnott vends at approximately four shows a year, and she worked for years as an event planner with Harrah’s Entertainment – wisdom she draws from as she works directly with vendors at each show.
“Having this experience has helped me to see the big picture,” says Arnott. “We continually learn from each show. By brainstorming and having weekly meetings, we come up with new ideas on how to make each market special.”
One of the clearest indications of the love and care that has gone into coordinating the market is the people it brings together. The way vendors greet each other, the support they provide for each other before, during, and after the market, and the happy vibes they share so freely with customers are enchantment personified. The genuine, positive energy that flows from the sisters, through the stunning, specially curated entryway they create, and into each booth sets the tone for a lovely day at the Enchanted Vintage Market.•
Enchanted Vintage Market
Oct. 9, 3-7 pm; Oct. 10, 9 am- 4 pm
Shasta District Fairgrounds, 1890 Briggs St., Anderson
$10 for both days, $5 for Saturday only,
Free for children 10 and under
Tickets available at KC Farmhouse Mercantile
or at the door
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