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Friday, March 29, 2024

Tampa Indie Flea will host an indie flea pop-up market in Gainesville this Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Depot Park.

The event is expected to draw in 25 to 30 vendors. Attendees can expect vintage and remade garments, handcrafted jewelry, pottery, succulents and cacti, handcrafted food and other locally created goods.

The pop-up event, which is the second flea market to be hosted by Tampa Indie Flea in Gainesville this year, is the brainchild of a team led by Rosey Williams and Seanissey Loughlin.

Loughlin, the creative director for Indie Flea, said Gainesville has an especially unique atmosphere.

“Bringing Indie Flea to Gainesville just felt right,” Loughlin said. “It has the right vibe. It has the right kind of shoppers coming out and meeting the right kind of makers."

Tampa Indie Flea expanded into Gainesville two years ago. Since then, the Indie Flea has reduced its presence in the city from being a monthly event to being a now quarterly event.

This shift was caused by personal changes among the team at Indie Flea. However, Loughlin said these changes do not reflect a disinterest in the Gainesville community.

“Gainesville has just always been a really fun environment for us to work in,” Loughlin said. “This project in Gainesville has the potential to do some really awesome things for the city and the people who live in it.”

Loughlin and Williams, who had already launched St. Pete Indie Market in 2012, first began collaborating in 2015. Together, they launched Tampa Indie Flea, a monthly  curated event that showcases talent and artistry with the Tampa Bay community.

However, because Tampa Indie Flea occurs only once a month, the curators sought to expand their business into other cities in Florida, including St. Petersburg and Lakeland. The team is currently eyeing other cities, such as Orlando.

Loughlin said he feels pride in knowing that he and his team are making an effort to help local businesses. The importance of supporting local art and creativity is not lost on the team at Indie Flea.

“You’re putting money into a real person’s hands,” Loughlin said. “You’re not just throwing money away at some corporate entity.”

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Loughlin said that no matter the city, the the local community has always been the focus of Indie Flea.

“If you’re spending money in Gainesville, let’s keep that money in Gainesville,” Loughlin said. “That’s what it’s all about: supporting the people who make our communities better."

 

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