On Friday, Sept. 8, vintage lovers and Vol fans alike flocked to the World’s Fair Park exhibition hall for the “Vol Fest” vintage market. This lively event centered on providing die-hard Vol fans with a sustainable alternative to shop for Vols gear.
Vol Fest is a biannual event happening once each semester and is heavily anticipated amongst sustainable fashion lovers and volunteer fanatics. The market was a great opportunity for vendors too, with some making the trip from Boone, North Carolina, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, respectively.
The market opened its doors at noon with eager shoppers waiting outside for the start of the event, and it remained packed even after its closing at 5 p.m. There was a little bit of everything at the event, with more than 4,000 vintage Vols pieces ranging from tank tops to windbreakers to old school jerseys and even some blankets and rugs.
Not every piece at the market was Tennessee orange either, with there being general vintage clothing varying from Coogi sweaters to denim skirts, which created a market for everyone.
Davis Parker, a member of @draba on Instagram, helped to coordinate the event and has been a key trailblazer in the growth of the vintage community in Knoxville.
“The vintage community in Knoxville is super strong and still growing,” Parker said. “I think people love repurposing and finding a second life to old clothes. It’s great to see more people coming out each time we hold a market, and it makes me super excited for the future of the community here. We plan to hold an even bigger festival next semester.”
The event showed the buzz around this community in Knoxville, leaving a lot of shoppers ready for what is to come.
Freshman William Wright went to the market in hopes of finding some new UT gear to fill his closet.
“The market was super cool,” Wright said. “I saw a lot of Vol gear that I had no idea existed. I got a couple pieces that were super unique, and I can’t wait to wear them on game day. Coming from Chattanooga, I saw the vintage community there burst onto the scene in the past year, so I was super excited to come to Knoxville and see that same energy here.”
Vol Fest featured many vendors, with some making having made the trip from Boone and Spartanburg.
Jo’keah “Jojo” McLean, with @thrift.smith.vintage on Instagram, a vendor from Boone, socialized with other vendors and customers about their view on the recent rise in popularity of vintage clothing.
“I’ve been working with Draba for a while now, and in the past few years, we’ve been to UGA and Boone a lot,” McLean said. “It feels like there is this circulating idea within the community as it grows that buying sustainably and shopping smart is better than producing more clothes. I’ve also noticed that people’s appreciation and respect for their clothes has grown tremendously.”
For those who missed the event, there are markets held by different vendors nearly every other week, but the next one sponsored by Draba will be sometime next semester. This recent craze appears to be one that will spread across Knoxville in the years to come, especially as sustainability in various industries continues to become more important to the general population.
"Vol Fest" vintage market provides a sustainable alternative to shop for Vols gear on Sept. 8, 2023.
