Independent makers, designers and vintage traders expected at Cowdray Avenue venue from 11:00 to 16:00, with £3 entry and under-12s free
Colchester’s weekend indie and maker footfall has another fixed date this Sunday as Craft & Flea stages its makers market at Charter Hall on Cowdray Avenue (CO1 1YH). The event runs from 11:00 to 16:00 on Sunday 13 September 2026 and is organised by Craft and Flea, listed on Eventbrite as a Top Organiser within the Indie Markets collection.
The listing describes the day as a makers market bringing together independent makers, collectors, designers and creatives, with an emphasis on shopping local. Product types cited by the organiser include ceramics, illustrations, candles, jewellery and vintage collections. Craft & Flea says stall applications are screened and that the offer is limited to handmade, hand-designed and authentic vintage goods rather than a general open fair. It also stresses that no two events are the same and that new traders are welcomed through the application process.
For readers and weekend visitors, the practical details are straightforward. Entry is listed at £3. Under-12s are free and do not need a ticket, according to the Eventbrite page. Pre-booked tickets are said to secure priority entry; ticket times are arrival slots only, and time spent inside the market is not capped. The refund policy on the listing is no refunds.
Important caveats appear on the same page and should shape expectations. Stalls are curated on application, and the organiser cannot guarantee particular stock types. Promotional images are for advertising only and do not guarantee which products or traders will appear on the day. Craft & Flea schedules advertising in advance and states it cannot guarantee which traders will attend each event. A Facebook event page (facebook.com/craftandflea) is signposted for further trader visibility, but named stallholders for this Colchester date were not independently verified for this report.
For traders, the organiser points applicants to www.thecraftandflea.com. The company’s traders dates page lists Colchester on Sunday 13 September at Charter Hall, 11:00–16:00, alongside other UK dates in the same national programme.
Why the market matters for Colchester is less about spectacle and more about weekend economy and local browsing habits. Charter Hall sits on the Cowdray Avenue leisure strip and is a familiar indoor venue for town-centre and edge-of-centre footfall on a Sunday. A five-hour curated craft and flea format gives independent makers a paid-entry audience and gives residents a single destination to sample handmade and vintage stock without inventing claims about crowd size or sales.
