Tampa Indie Flea will host its first indie flea pop-up market in Gainesville this Sunday.
The pop-up event, which will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at the Old Gainesville Depot, has been in the works for more than three months, said Seanissey Loughlin, the curator for Tampa Indie Flea.
Loughlin said he had been putting together smaller markets in Tampa, Florida, but wanted to do something larger within the community. However, Loughlin said he knew he would need to collaborate with someone else to provide a year-round indoor market setting.
He worked with Rosey Williams, who had already launched St. Pete Indie Market, to create Tampa Indie Flea, a monthly market that’s coming up on its one-year anniversary in November.
Loughlin said part of the reason he wanted to create a market like this was to add to the already long list of interesting activities in Tampa.
“There’s a lot of really cool stuff happening,” Loughlin said, “and we just want to expose as many people as we can to that.”
However, because Tampa Indie Flea is only once a month, the curators wanted to expand it to other cities. Even though it took time and planning to make sure vendors were available and to determine a location, Loughlin said having Gainesville as the first pop-up market outside of Tampa was a great decision.
“It’s exciting for us that we get to do it in a place that we’re so excited about,” he said.
People who haven’t been to an indie flea market before should expect to walk away feeling inspired to create, get their hands dirty and learn a new trade, Loughlin said. The markets are even an inspiring time for vendors who have the opportunity to be around other creative people.
He mentioned a vendor who traveled from South Carolina to Tampa selling tintype photographs. Loughlin said what struck him was the passion this artist had for his niche art.
“I definitely walked away with a tintype and was telling everyone, ‘This guy needs to be supported through and through,’” he said.
He said 40 to 45 vendors are expected to attend the Gainesville pop-up market this Sunday. Local, independent Gainesville businesses like Bobby Foxx Designs, which specializes in jewelry and photography, and Vivi and Sam, which produces jewelry and decor, will be present at the pop-up.
Also included in the list of vendors is Upcycled Studio. Diana and Ken Swallow first got started at shows in 2012 with events like Tampa Indie Flea, where they sold prints by Diana and sculptures by Ken.
“I like to call the indie markets a lot of goodness all in one place,” Diana Swallow wrote in an email. “It has a vibe, a life of its own.”
First-time indie flea goers might come not knowing what they’re looking for but leave having found an artist who perfectly captures their aesthetic. You never know what you’re going to find, Swallow said, from body care items to artisanal foods to one-of-a-kind clothing.
Swallow said it’s the recurring customers who make it worthwhile. She said for her, seeing someone connect with something she created is one of the most satisfying feelings.
“Small-business owners are dreamers and doers,” she said. “We want to bring our customers a unique product they’d be proud to own or give as a gift.”
Loughlin said that the best part about buying things from independent businesses is the feeling of actively contributing to someone’s livelihood, as most people who participate in indie flea markets are doing this by picking up a trade and doing it part time.
“These are regular people; you’re not filling the pockets of some fat cat,” he said.
When buying from local, independent businesses, patrons can know exactly where their money is going, Loughlin said. He said whether it’s helping artists buy more art supplies or putting food on the table for their children, the importance of supporting art and creativity is not lost on him.
“Why would it not be important?” he asked.
