A "Brocante" is a secondhand fair.
I had one near my home and I stopped by as I was biking and enjoying the mild September sun. It runs for two days (usually weekends).
These fairs are very common in France and take place all year round in different neighborhoods. Some are very famous, like the Foire au jambon et a la brocante de l'ile de Chatou, where they sell second hand goods ... and whole hams (go figure!). It takes place in a posh suburb of Paris.
People go to find something (such as iron garden furniture, a hit last summer) or just for a stroll. The French buy here collectibles, old maps, watercolors, furniture, antiques, old linen, specialized furniture (right now, there is a lot of 50's furniture for sale and the Art Deco is in decline).
Brocanteur is a trade, and you need be registered to be able to have a stand in these street fairs.
Individuals who want to sell second hand things that belong to them, sell them in a "Vide Grenier", a something like "Emptying the Attic", that takes place in their neighborhood. Have not seen any of those here where I live.
I love maps, and I have bought in these brocantes old maps of different regions in France that I have given to friends as Christmas presents.
I also look for old cooking books.
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