I’m loving this. The community and people who come to these events make it enjoyable. – Hailey Thomas
SALT LAKE CITY — When you’re moving into a new apartment, finding the right items to decorate it and make it feel like home is high priority. For Steven Collicelli and his roommate, a flea market was just the place to discover some unique treasures.
Take, for instance, the old school world globe they found on Sunday at the Urban Flea Market.
“We’re going to have a map room,” he explained. “We specifically got this one because it still has U-S-S-R.”
He said that growing up he had a very similar globe and was nostalgic for something “Soviet chic.”
Collicelli also picked up a couple of vintage lamps to add to the hip décor of the new place.
“We’ve been going to thrift stores and looking for stuff … so this is just a great place to find interesting pieces and stuff you can’t find elsewhere,” he said.
This weekend marked the launch of the third annual Urban Flea Market in downtown Salt Lake City. The event is an affordable marketplace where an array of eclectic, vintage used and new items are for sale, including clothing, original artwork, furniture, tools, oddball knickknacks and other things, said co-founder and executive director Kate Wheadon.
“At any time, we have a couple hundred people visiting the market,” she said.
It is the biggest downtown flea market and a great place to find and sell antiques, secondhand and locally made treasures, said co-founder Michael Sanders.
“We have local artists, people that do jewelry and some that make clothing,” he said. “It’s a little bit of everything.”
Matt and Marnie Mayer were able to find vintage glassware that piqued their interest.
“Our folks had these (dishes) in the past,” Mayer said. “We just look for things that remind us of our past and would be good to hold on to for the future.”
The monthly events are held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of every month through October, with selected dates for the market on June 9, July 14, Aug. 11, Sept. 8 and Oct. 13. There are booth spaces available for up to 70 vendors with free parking for patrons, Wheadon said.
The market is held at 600 South between Main Street and West Temple, across from the Little America Hotel. Additionally, beginning next month, the market announced that the Downtown Farmers Market will be providing fresh produce.
Angela and Hailey Thomas were visiting the market for the first time and investigated some of the unique clothing items on sale.
“I’m loving this,” Hailey Thomas said. “The community and people who come to these events make it enjoyable.”
They said they appreciate being able to be out on a beautiful day just browsing through the market with no particular purchase in mind.
“I’m really looking for anything and nothing at the same time,” Hailey Thomas said.
Visit www.fleamarketslc.com for more information.
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