The California Lane and Glitter Records' CD & Record Fair returns to Brisbane's Fortitude Valley next month.
However, organisers Riley Fitzgerald (Glitter Records) and Ari Urosevic (4ZZZ) see it as something bigger than a day of crate digging.
Part record fair, part street party, part living archive, the event (16 May) brings together collectors, historians, DJs, independent businesses and community radio in a way that feels distinctly Brisbane; DIY at heart, deeply collaborative, and gloriously eclectic.
"There's a gathering or a ritual where lots of different people with a connection to music in Brisbane come together," Fitzgerald says. "We have common ground, which is really cool to discover; and we want to share that with other people as well."
That spirit runs through the entire event. Alongside thousands of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes and rarities from vendors including Sacred Crates, Beat Market and Disc Space, there'll be vinyl-only DJ sets from Judy Jetson, a special talk from John Willsteed (The Go-Betweens), and guided history tours through the Valley led by historian Robert Allen.
For Urosevic, the event reflects a city whose music culture has always been built from the ground up.
"Brisbane does excellent, loud, live party music best," she says, "and I really think the future is just going to be more of it – and a lot more women on that stage."
That DIY lineage is central to the fair's identity; from references to The Saints and the Valley's punk history, through to the involvement of 4ZZZ, who last year celebrated 50 years as a hub for independent culture.
"There's a lot of history on and within these walls," Urosevic says. While Fitzgerald adds: "The Valley is teeming with DIY energy. We're just trying to bring some of that together."
However, this isn't just an exercise in nostalgia. There's a strong future-facing thread running through the event too, especially in the renewed appetite for physical media among younger audiences.
Fitzgerald and Urosevic speak enthusiastically about a new generation rediscovering CDs, tapes and vinyl – not as retro artefacts, but as identity, connection and culture.
"Young people want to own physical music," Urosevic says. "They want events to go to. They want to meet other musicians." Fitzgerald puts it another way. "What defines a true collector is intention."
That sense of intentionality extends beyond collecting into community itself, something both organisers feel matters even more in a post-lockdown world.
"One way you can really make yourself feel better in uncertain times is to become active in your own community," Urosevic says.
"We're really making an attempt to bring everyone back together into a commonplace and remember that we're all in this together."
That ethos helps explain why the event is designed as a daytime, family-friendly gathering as much as a destination for hardcore collectors.
"If you are a serious music nerd, you will be accommodated," Fitzgerald laughs. "If you just want a really great coffee and have a look around, that's great too."
There will be food, coffee, the famous 4ZZZ banana mascots, niche discoveries, and likely a few once-in-a-lifetime crate finds.
Mostly, there'll be a sense of Brisbane's music culture in motion; preserving its past while making space for what comes next.
Perhaps the best pitch for showing up came from Urosevic herself. "First of all," she says, "it's going to be fun on a bun."
California Lane and Glitter Records' CD & Record Fair (Brisbane) takes place 16 May (9.30am to 3.30pm). Main entrance at 22 McLachlan St Fortitude Valley.
