One of the most fun activities you can do over a summer weekend is visit a flea market in New Jersey. These markets offer a variety of antiques and thrift items that you often cannot find anywhere else. Luckily, there are plenty to choose from. Here are 15 flea markets in New Jersey worth checking out.
Note: Since many of these flea markets in New Jersey are in-person, all require that shoppers take into account social distancing guidelines and consider wearing masks while browsing.
1. New Meadowlands Market – East Rutherford, NJ
With a title such as “New Jersey’s Premier Outdoor Flea Market,” New Meadowlands Market has a lot to live up to. Fortunately, with hundreds of available vendors, it definitely has the evidence to back itself up. The great number of new and returning vendors means customers are sure to find something they are looking for.
Along with such merchants, the flea market also provides delicious food from its numerous meal carts, as well as free entertainment and games. Parking and admission are completely free of charge. The market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2. Manahawkin Flea Market – Manahawkin, NJ
Established in 1977, Manahawkin Flea Market hosts up to 80 vendors from May 1 to December 31 yearly. Antiques, jewelry and other merchandise are available. In addition to the usual flea market attractions, customers can enjoy the various pastry and food shops that are directly next to the market.
The outdoor market is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the indoor market is open daily.
3. Columbus Farmers Market – Columbus, NJ
Columbus Farmers Market has the claim of being Delaware Valley’s oldest flea market and its largest. With over 65 indoor stores and a massive outdoor area constructed for table vendors, this claim appears to be true.
Vendors both in and outdoors sell household goods, plants, cosmetics, toys, furniture and more. There is also a great number of dining options, too. It’s open year-round every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
4. Pacific Flea – Jersey City, NJ
Located just a short distance away from Liberty State Park, Pacific Flea offers an authentic, vintage shopping experience. Outdoor street art and food trucks round out the markets’ distinct selection of merchandise. This includes hand-crafted jewelry, antiques, pulp novels, toys and other items.
Pacific Flea is open every other Saturday from April to October from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If they expect rain, they will notify customers via their social media accounts.
5. Golden Nugget Flea Market – Lambertville, NJ
Located in Lambertville, NJ, this market, with an impressive 50 years under its belt, stays open all year long. Befitting its name, it has often been called a “gold mine” for finding all the antiques and collectibles one could want.
Alongside the vast array of merchandise vendors can sell, Golden Nugget also has several thrift stores on-site. These range from art and jewelry shops to gaming and bookstores. It also hosts several events, including an antique train show.
Golden Nugget Flea Market is open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. For convenience, the market has two ATMs for getting cash. There are also two nearby restaurants at which customers can eat while going over their purchases. The market asks customers to respect COVID-19 social distancing guidelines and to wear a mask while attending.
6. Asbury Park Punk Rock Flea Market – Asbury Park, NJ
Set up three times a year at Asbury Park’s Convention Hall, the Asbury Park Punk Rock Flea Market embraces its artistic identity in full. Over 125 vendors offer everything from vinyl and music equipment to vintage clothing, artwork, and handmade jewelry.
Additionally, the flea market offers entertainment while customers browse. Local bands play at every event, and the hall offers a special view of the Atlantic Ocean.
The market first opens on October 3.
7. Collingwood Flea Market – Farmingdale, NJ
Built on 25 acres of Central New Jersey land, the Collingwood Flea Market is open year-round. More than 500 outdoor merchants display their wares while a 60,000-square-foot warehouse allows more than 100 indoor tables to do the same.
Items sold include furniture, clothing, jewelry, sports merchandise, country collectibles and more. The market also has snack shops set up nearby for shoppers’ convenience. The market is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8. Berlin’s Farmers Market – Berlin, NJ
Found in Berlin, NJ, Berlin’s Farmers Market can be separated into two kinds: the outdoor flea market and the indoor farmers market.
The flea market hosts close to 700 vendors and tables. They sell custom-made gifts, toys, jewelry, clothing for all sizes and more. It’s open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday year-round from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The market’s website allows one to watch a live feed of the market so that they know what’s being sold.
The farmers market, open Thursdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., sells fresh produce grown locally. It offers a selection of baked goods such as pies and sweets from its Amish bakery. It also claims to be one of the oldest on the East Coast, having been built in 1940 by the same family that now runs it.
9. New Egypt Flea Market – New Egypt, NJ
What’s sure to catch the eye of the curious shopper immediately upon entering the New Egypt Flea Market is the sight of a rusty 1940s vehicle with several plant stalks growing out of its empty windows. This aesthetic of technology and nature meshing together carries throughout its marketplace, which is filled with small, rustic buildings converted into various antique shops.
Beyond selling merchandise and other novelty items, the market also offers tours. These tours allow shoppers to learn more about the history of each converted building. Community events such as scavenger hunts are also provided.
The market is open Wednesdays and Sundays year-round from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
10. The Summit Antiques Center – Summit, NJ
Found in Summit, NJ, the Summit Antiques Center has been the go-to place in the New York area for vintage tastes. Built in 1990, it claims to be one of the longest-operating antique centers in the state.
Two floors come packed with a variety of antique goods ranging from jewelry to furniture. Fifty experienced antique dealers can inform customers about the styles and eras in which these items are found, from the Victorian era to more contemporary setpieces.
The store opens every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round.
11. Cowtown Farmers Market – Pilesgrove, NJ
A contender for the best flea market in South Jersey, Cowtown Farmers Market has been in business since 1926. While its livestock auction might have closed in 2007, Cowtown still boasts an impressive 400+ vendors.
Shoppers can buy from Honey’s Jewelry, Cowtown’s preferred jewelry vendor, or enjoy one of the many food stalls that round out the space. Other vendors sell anything from discount clothing to toys and electronics.
The farmer’s market is open every Tuesday and Saturday from 8 a.m to 4 p.m.
12. The Lafayette Mill Antiques Center – Lafayette, NJ
For nearly 200 years, the Lafayette Mill Antiques Center has been calling itself “New Jersey’s Premier Antiques Center.” It offers great prices and merchants alongside a friendly, rustic atmosphere. Fifty-five vendors peddle their wares outdoors, and the Mill Cafe is available for customers who need to quench their thirst. Merchandise includes fine art, dolls, toys and sporting collectibles.
The shop is open year-round from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., though it’s closed on New Year’s, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
13. Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market – Trenton, NJ
Perhaps one of the most aesthetically different from other flea markets, the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market is nevertheless one of the most unique and rewarding in New Jersey. Exclusively open up to five times a year, the Market offers vintage clothing, paintings, antiques, jewelry and other items of interest. More than 500 vendors from more than 25 states congregate here to sell their wares, and you are guaranteed to find something that’s been handled with great care and creativity.
You can find out when specifically the market is open via its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
14. Avenel Flea Market – Woodbridge, NJ
The Avenel Flea Market is found in Woodbridge, NJ. It has over 150 vendor spaces and stores, allowing for a broad selection of goods, clothing and antique items. The market is open year-round on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Additionally, parking and admission are both completely free.
15. Englishtown Auction – Manalapan, NJ
Founded in 1929 by the Sobechko Family, Englishtown Auction has enjoyed a respectable position within its community for decades. It is open every weekend from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, and offers both free parking and admission. It claims to offer items from A to Z.
Convenience is part of the market’s goals. Most vendors accept credit cards, and three ATMs stand ready at the market’s food court area. A building directory, which can be picked up at the market itself or downloaded from the website, directs shoppers to all the available shops, both inside and out.
Have you visited these New Jersey flea markets before? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image by Nikola Đuza
