L.A. County Flea Markets to check out this semester


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Los Angeles County is home to a variety of flea markets, swapmeets and thrift events that provide attendees with everything from vintage clothing to handcrafted art. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

It’s pretty early in the semester and if you’re sitting in your dorm wondering what to do in Los Angeles (there’s a lot), then you might want to check out some of these flea markets in the area. They’re not too far from campus if you drive, so get that one friend that brought their car to campus or carpool with a friend or two and split the Uber bill to go find some hidden gems.

Los Feliz Flea

Located in Los Feliz, this flea market requires a mere 30-minute drive and they’re open every Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. As one of the most well-known flea markets in L.A. County, @losfelizflea on Instagram boasts over 58k followers. The Los Feliz Flea is filled with tons of things to do. There’s loads of food trucks posted at the venue, along with dozens upon dozens of vendors that sell a multitude of items, from collectibles to art pieces to vintage clothing and many other items. The best part is that there’s free admission and free parking as well, although it may be limited because of this flea’s popularity. It’s also open rain or shine, so there’s no worries of having to cancel plans unless some unexpected natural disaster hits L.A.

Black Market Flea

Located at The Beehive on East 60th St., Black Market Flea hosts a ton of Black-owned businesses. It’s another one of L.A.’s well-known markets that attracts a huge crowd. They only host their markets once a month, so they build up quite a deal of hype when they come around. While it is free admission, they recommend you buy a ticket to guarantee entrance into the market. Admission’s relatively cheap, coming at a price of only $12. They also tend to bring entertainment for people to vibe out to. Last February, Black Market Flea brought out Duckwrth to perform alongside so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out and marking your calendar when they announce their next flea market which you can find on their Instagram @blackmarketflea. 

Melrose Trading Post

Located on Melrose Avenue, this flea market is hosted at Fairfax High School weekly every Sunday. While it’s not a free flea market, it’s only five dollars to get in. The Melrose Trading Post also has live music performances. Typically, they bring local artists to give them a platform to perform and give people new artists to follow if they enjoyed their music. They always have three different acts for each Sunday, lasting around an hour typically per set, with the first one starting at 11:15 a.m. and the last performance ending at 4:15 p.m. Melrose Trading Post opens its doors at 9 a.m. and closes up shop at 5 p.m. so there’s plenty of time and wiggle room to plan your Sunday out and squeeze in a visit to MTP. Vendors at Melrose typically sell art pieces, home decor, antiques, clothes and a bunch of other goods that may pique your interest. 

Silverlake Flea

Silverlake Flea is in Echo Park, in close proximity to the Dodgers Stadium. It’s located on Sunset Boulevard, and it’s around a 30-minute drive to get there. On their website, they liken it to the Melrose Trading Post but “on a cuter, smaller scale that’s not as overwhelming to browse and shop.” They’re open every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. respectively. It’s full of all different kinds of vendors from clothing to food to art and so much more. 

El Faro Plaza 

Last, but not least, we have El Faro Plaza. It’s a swap meet only 15 minutes away from campus, setting up base on South Alameda Street. It’s probably the one that is easiest to plan a day out to head on over. They are open six days a week, with the market being closed on Tuesdays. On weekdays, they open at 10 a.m., but on weekends they open an hour earlier and close at 7 p.m. on each day of operation. They also sell a wide assortment of items from electronics to car parts to clothes, just to name a few. It’s also indoors so you won’t have to worry about standing outside if some crazy heat storm hits L.A.

While these obviously aren’t the only flea markets in L.A., with plenty more scattered around the county, they’re definitely ones to keep an eye out for. Maybe you’ll find your next grail piece for your closet or an art piece you’ll want to stare at in your dorm.