In-Store Events
🍂 WHATNOTS & WHIMSIES
VINTAGE FALL SHOP HOP 🍁
BROOCHES ARE BACK — AND WE’RE OPENING THE BAR!
Grab a Seat at Our Vintage Brooch Bar
Pick It. Pin It. Make It Yours.
🍎 SHOP. SIP. STAY AWHILE.
We’re rolling out the red carpet for our Shop Hop guests with a complimentary Coffee & Hot Cider Bar, Decadent bakery treats, European chocolates and Mimosas plus games, prizes and Shop Hop-only surprises throughout the weekend.
Grab your besties and make Whatnots & Whimsies one of your must-stop destinations during the Fall Vintage Shop Hop!
We’re turning our warehouse into a vintage jewelry playground filled with brooches, pins, charms and fabulous forgotten treasures just waiting for a second act.
Shop our inspiration displays and discover unexpected ways to wear vintage again—brooch-bomb a denim jacket, transform a man’s vintage necktie, embellish a handbag, dress up a scarf, add some sparkle to a cap or dream up your own completely unexpected combination.
See a finished look you love? Buy it! Our inspiration displays will feature shoppable vintage pieces so you can recreate the look—or take the whole thing home.
Then pull up a seat at our creation table, grab a complimentary mimosa and decadent treat, and…
PICK IT. PIN IT. MAKE IT YOURS.
💎 TAKE THE BESTIE ACCESSORY CHALLENGE
How well do you know your shopping partner?
Choose the vintage accessory you think best complements your bestie while they choose yours. No vetoes! Put them on, snap a photo, tag us and show off your Shop Hop style.
COME PLAY DRESS-UP WITH YOUR BESTIE!
Our vintage jewelry and clothing stylists will also be on hand to help you put together that perfect fall or holiday look.
📸 STRIKE A POSE
Catch a glamour shot in our boudoir dressing room, complete with antique chandelier, pin-up art and three-panel mirror. Slip into our timeless vintage clothing, furs and accessories, channel a little Old Hollywood glamour—and don’t forget to walk our runway!
✨ SHOP HOP PERK
Spend $25 anywhere in the store and choose a $5 Pin-Up from our Vintage Brooch Bar FREE!
But first…you have to find the Brooch Bar.
Follow the yellow brick road through 10 rooms of vintage goodness filled with whimsical treasures and wonderfully weird finds.
Hunt through vintage clothing and jewelry, Pyrex, Fire-King and primitives in our Vintage Kitchen. Explore Mid-Century Modern, Shabby Chic and Victorian furniture and collectibles. Dig through vintage vinyl, records and toys—and make sure you wander into our Oddities Room filled with spooky treasures, then grab some of our newly arrived fall decor to transform the season in your home!
NEVER SHOP HOPPED BEFORE?
Get ready for the mother lode of vintage road trips!
The Vintage Shop Hop brings together 400+ vintage shops, antique stores and boutiques throughout northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin for one incredible weekend of treasure hunting.
And don’t just make us a stop—make Downtown Elgin part of your road trip.
The Fox River Valley is brimming with a variety of shopping destinations many within walking distance.
Whatnots & Whimsies is nestled between the popular Elgin Public House which is a great place to to relax have a cocktail and grab a delicious bite to eat and Sugar & Rhyme a coffee & pastry shop with delicious croissants, quiche and chocolate tortes!
Downtown Elgin also features many other charming stops all within walking distance, a Record shop, the Martini Room, the Dr. Who inspired Bluebox Cafe and the delicious Al’s Creamery serving up lunch & dinner and topping it off with their homemade ice cream!
There is street parking available and a free centrally located parking garage for your convenience. There are many other specialty shops located in the downtown area and the Elgin casino riverboat is just minutes away. State Street Market is also just a few miles away! Come and experience the charm of Downtown Elgin for a Shop Hop weekend to remember and start planning your road trip for this years Vintage Shop Hop! Grab your friends. Hit the road. Shop hard!
Make a day of it. Find something fabulous. Eat something delicious. Laugh with your besties. And go home with a story or two.
Come for the treasure hunt.
Stay to make vintage your own.
WHATNOTS & WHIMSIES
211 E Chicago St
Elgin, Illinois 60120
OCTOBER 2 & 3, 2026 | 10 AM–5 PM
Vintage Finds That Tell Your Story.
#VintageShopHop #WhatnotsAndWhimsies #BestRoadTripEver