Sporting lady-like dresses, throwback hairstyles, and oodles of vintage baubles, fans braved the rain to shop for one-of-a-kind items at Houston Vintage on Saturday. Held in the beautiful 1940 Air Terminal Museum next to Hobby Airport, the festival attracted a diverse crowd with its family-friendly entertainment, racks and racks of vintage clothing, and, naturally, historic airplanes.  

Houston Vintage prides itself on being a great place to shop for authentic-era clothing and items made from retro materials, but it’s also growing to be a lifestyle festival. In addition to clothing and accessory sellers, this year’s festival featured a booth from Topper Stamps showcasing postage from the era the terminal operated as the first commercial airport in Houston, and the Houston Vintage Radio Association with a number of period radios.

“It’s a great place to bring your kids, parents and grandparents—we have something for everyone,” Dawn Bell, festival organizer, said. “Each hour we have something going on—Elvis impersonators, the Miss Houston Vintage pageant—so that anytime you show up there’s something fun happening.”

Folks snapped up fascinators from Violet Peacock  and “Texican” trinkets from My Flaming Heart, and had their hair done by the talented team at Kat’s Meow—who also provided makeup demonstrations. Later in the afternoon, yet another cat, specifically Miss Al E. Cat (reigning Ms. Houston vintage) signed autographs, and beauty-queen-hopefuls strutted their stuff while vying for the crown.

This was the festival’s fourth year and it’s first in the recently restored museum, which has now become Houston Vintage’s permanent home. The venue was recently opened for events and appealed to the organizers because of its history and it’s pristine 1940s look.

“We’ve finally found a home,” Bell enthuses. “We walked in and just knew it was the perfect spot. I’ve secured this location for the next few years!”

Check out the slideshow below for more.