District Flea Coming to U Street Corridor this Fall
District Flea is a spinoff of Brooklyn Flea, the popular outdoor food and merchandise market in New York City. District Flea will be open for six Saturdays starting on September 14 at 945 Florida Avenue, just two blocks from U Street.
Brooklyn Flea started in 2008 and is now a market for 150 vendors who sell food, jewelry, antiques, furniture, crafts, vintage clothing, and records. The idea was so successful that the founders created markets in multiple locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Plus, they opened a new market in Philadelphia this summer.
The Washington, DC location, called District Flea, will be located near the 9:30 Club on a vacant lot with 37,000 square feet of space. The site is part of the Atlantic Plumbing Building project that will create three residential buildings and over 25,000 square feet of retail space. Some of that project is already under construction, but the developer has no immediate plans for the District Flea site, so it could become a permanent home for the market. Brooklyn Flea cofounder Eric Demby says, “I guess it's more accurate to call it a trial. Basically we want to see how it goes, and the developer is fine with that, too. We're going to do it for six Saturdays and we'll know whether it's a hit or not. But we have every intention of coming back beginning in the spring. We want to verify our gut instinct."
Almost 100 local vendors have already registered to participate in District Flea and about 45 have been accepted. The organizers hope to have 150 vendors by the opening date in September. According to the District Flea website, “...our market will feature antique and repurposed furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques, as well as a tightly curated selection of jewelry, art, and crafts by artisans from in and around DC, New York, Baltimore, and Philly. And of course, delicious fresh food!” Vendor booth prices range from $100 to $900 depending on the number of days and size of booth. So if you have business (or know of one you would like to see), be sure to apply to be a vendor at District Flea.