POMONA, CA.- Sundays are about to be a lot more fun for Southern California flea marketers, especially those who live inland and east of LA. Starting May 3rd, the new Inland Vintage Market will be open for business on the first Sunday of every month, offering vendor space to sellers of antiques, art, collectibles and quality pre-1990 repurposed or handmade goods. The event will take place from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, in Parking Lots 9 and 10 on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona College.

The new venture is the brainchild of a management team whose members have owned and operated four secondhand stores over the past 30 years, including the popular Justuff the Yard Sale Store in Redlands.

Tomi Heard, who is in partnership with her mother, Karen Pierce, and sister-in-law Joanna Heard, said both sellers and regular flea market shoppers from the region have responded “very enthusiastically” to news of the Inland Vintage Market and its May 3 launch. “They especially like its convenient location,” she said.

“Although they are wonderful events, the big flea markets in LA and Long Beach are an hour’s drive from Ontario – even longer from San Bernardino. If you hit the traffic, the fun is over before it has even begun. In contrast, the Inland Vintage Market will be an easy 10-minute drive from Ontario,” Heard said.

The market will welcome a new category that has caught on in a big way with Pinterest fans and interior decorators: older handmade or creatively repurposed goods. The only stipulation is that anything of this type that is offered for sale must be at least 20 years old, Heard said.

There will be ample free parking at the show, and starting with the June 7 edition of the show, “Poly Trolley” – Cal Poly’s gourmet food truck – will be on hand to serve hungry shoppers fresh sandwiches, salads, Mexican food, Starbucks coffee and much more. (Light lunch fare will be available at the May 3 debut.) ATMs on the Cal Poly campus are an added convenience for shoppers.

“We believe our new market, with its broad mix of goods and easy accessibility to three heavily populated counties, could grow over time to accommodate as many as 800 vendors. There’s definitely enough space for that many sellers,” Heard said.

Each $90 vendor space is a generous 20ft by 20ft, with easy entry and adjacent parking for vehicles or trailers up to 20ft in length. Vendors may share a space if desired.

General admission to the Inland Vintage Market (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) is $5. Children under 12 enter free if accompanied by an adult. There is plentiful free parking at the market site, which is handicapped accessible. Security will be onsite at all times.

The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located at 3801 W. Temple Ave., at the junction of I-10, CA-71 and the 57, in Pomona, CA 91768.

Show vendors may view additional information and sign up for the show online at www.inlandvintagemarket.com or they can call 909-222-0924 to reserve a space and pay with a credit card. Email info@inlandvintagemarket.com.