When Lille Pretended to be a Painting (1882)
Imagine a quirky flea market held in October, with the people of Lille dressed like they were in the 18th century, recreating a painting by François Watteau. Wearing wigs and short trousers, they aimed to celebrate the end of the century of Lille, marked by the Austrian army in 1792. Bystanders must have been awestruck by this early historical cosplay!
The Braderie Without Mussels (1945)
You might think it’s a dream, but no: the very first post-war Braderie kicked off… without mussels. Rationing was still in full swing, so Lille tried to import from Holland. The issue? The shipments that arrived in Saint-Sauveur were spoiled and ended up straight in the trash. A collective trauma in the North.
The TV Show That Changed Everything (1981)
The braderie, which was quite a hidden gem until then, suddenly became a national star. Thanks to Pierre Mauroy, the mayor of Lille and the new Prime Minister, who brought the cameras from Antenne 2 to the event. From that moment on, it was impossible for all of France to ignore this joyful jumble.
The Saturday That Replaced Monday (1996)
Back in the day, the braderie was Sunday-Monday (Yep, the people of Lille would even take their Monday off to hunt for treasures). In 1996, the “braderie Monday” was no more, and it turned into Saturday-Sunday. Not as exotic, but so much more practical (well, that depends on who you ask).
A Memorable Downpour (2011)
It all begins under a beautiful sun… then suddenly, weather alert: torrential rain and gusts of wind at 90 km/h. The vendors panic and pack up their fries and clothes in a rush. It looked like an apocalypse with tarps flying everywhere. The next day, as if nothing had happened, the braderie resumes. Welcome to the North!
The Canceled Edition (2016)
After the Nice attacks, safety takes priority: the flea market was completely canceled. A tough blow for the local economy and the spirits of Lille residents. Like a Sunday without fries or good beer. Heavy.
And even Covid got in the way (2020)
Just like in the times of the plague, the pandemic also paused the flea market. The city found itself orphaned of its noisiest weekend, replaced by (too) quiet streets.
Moral of the story?
The Lille Flea Market is unstoppable. Even when the weather, politics, or viruses try to interfere, it always finds a way to come back. Catch us at the beginning of September to write, maybe, the next WTF story in its history.
Sources: Good Morning Lille, Braderie-de-Lille.fr