The new outdoor market in Seattle, called Seattle Square, located in the city’s Pioneer Square, opened July 17 with a crowd of 1,200 to 1,500 people, market organizer Jen Kelly tells FleaMarketZone. “We think that the market went really well. We estimate that we had anywhere from 1,200 to 1,500 people, and the vendors were all really happy afterwards. We ended up with 31 vendors on the day of, and one of our featured food cart vendors even sold out at 2 p.m.! (with 3 hours still to go). We have a great Facebook photo contest that is going on right now (check it out here: www.facebook.com/seattlesquare), and we are overall really pleased with our first day.”
Kelly says that the flea market met the goal organizers had set — to change the area for the better. “The market transformed the neighborhood into exactly what I see it becoming some day,” she says. “We had tourists, young couples, students, families, and even our homeless population all mixing together in one space. Little kids ran around the square, while teens played bocce, and shoppers wandered the park, looking for things they wanted to buy. Change takes time, but it was thrilling to see the potential of the neighborhood come to life.”
According to a report in the Seattle Times, the market featured a wide range of items:
“A table featured $2 shoes, a smorgasbord of canvas sneakers, Mary Janes and leopard-print heels. A booth called Deviant Decor sold Victorian-framed miniature objects, ranging from a set of doll’s feet to sea shells mounted on black velvet. The Kitchen Ink booth sold images of owls and whales screen-printed on used baby onesies. A few gourmet food trucks served shoppers along Occidental Avenue South. Barbara Pronsato ran a stall Saturday for her company, Mintika. She sold cards, including the “Cats and Cake” series featuring kitties with close-ups of cake from 1960s-era cookbooks.”
The Seattle Square flea market continues weekly on Saturdays through Sept. 25, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Photo credits, with thanks: Alvin Neglerio via Flickr and Seattle Square market via Facebook.