The first Phoenix Flea market took place on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday at Heritage Square Park, bringing together local vendors and shoppers from around downtown Phoenix and the surrounding areas.
The two-day event showcased a mix of vintage and locally produced goods and helped benefit the 100 Club of Arizona, which provides support for the families of public safety officers, firefighters and paramedics who have been injured or killed in the line of the duty.
The idea for Phoenix Flea was born when a group of “vintage enthusiasts” came together and decided to create a place for local businesses to come together, show their work and get to know one another, said Ashlee Molina, Phoenix Flea’s market coordinator.
“The main purpose was to facilitate a place where local artisans and entrepreneurs can showcase their items,” Molina said, “They’re all handmade, not mass-produced items … it’s a mix of vintage and Arizona-made items. There are a lot of hand-crafted goods, paper goods, candles and furniture.”
Phoenix Flea will likely be a biannual event, Molina added.
Artist of a custom prints store called Yellow Bungalow Shop and Phoenix Flea vendor Angie Milne said she participated in Phoenix Flea not only to give her business more exposure, but to promote the idea of “shopping small.”
“I’m a new shop and I wanted to get the word out … I think it’s just such a good opportunity to raise money for the 100 Club,” Milne said. “Getting vendors together to support each other is such a good thing, especially in this kind of economy where really you want to shop small so that you can support each other and put money back into Phoenix and the surrounding areas.”
Shoppers at Phoenix Flea, which also took place on Small Business Saturday, said they came to find unique items and support local businesses.
“I think it’s really fun because it’s a fundraiser and it’s Small Business Saturday,” shopper Karen Sumner said. “So it’s a great day to have it and I think it’s been really interesting to find out not only about the vendors, but how a lot of them are doing things naturally and organically, but also for a good cause.”
Fellow shopper Loralee Grimmius, who bought handmade cards, expressed support as well.
“I got some cool Christmas cards to send out that are handmade, very unique, rather than the ones at the store that are cheaper, probably, but I really like the unique handmade part of it.”
Phoenix Flea also served a greater purpose by donating a portion of the ticket sales and all of the concession sales to the 100 Club of Arizona.
“I think it’s fabulous,” said Laura Contreras, who does community relations for the 100 Club of Arizona. “The 100 Club provides financial assistance to families of police officers and firefighters when they’re critically injured or killed in the line of duty and the 100 Club survives on corporate sponsorships, community donations and annual membership, so it’s fabulous. It’s events like this that keep the 100 Club alive.”
Al Contreras, a recipient of the 100 Club of Arizona who was injured in the line of duty, also expressed his support of Phoenix Flea.
“It’s a great event,” Contreras said. “It’s keeping the money local and everyone’s having a great time … couldn’t imagine anything better.”
Contact the reporter at pkunthar@asu.edu
