EXPO NM Flea Market Blends the Traditional with the Unique & Unexpected!

On a recent Saturday morning, we spent some time wandering the aisles of our EXPO New Mexico Flea Market and observed some of the many reasons the state’s biggest open-air market is a fascinating, intriguing, and rewarding shopping experience. We always expect to have a great time at the flea market and our latest visit was no exception—the weekend outing made for a pleasant albeit very warm treasure hunting excursion. In addition to snacking on a flea market purchase of dehydrated Skittles, it involved novel discoveries, alluring treasure hunts, and conversations with friendly people who willingly shared their interesting and unique stories.

While it’s challenging to pick just a few of the things that make the flea market special, we’re sharing some of our personal favorites.

1. The Finds
If you haven’t been to the flea market in a while, you might be surprised by the eclectic mix of items available for purchase. In the first few minutes we were there we encountered jewels and gemstones including a wonderful selection of turquoise. Did we mention the fresh produce, metal art, handmade wooden bowls, one-of-a-kind candies, and specialty treats?

Of course, you can also find many well-priced gently used as well as new items such as toys, blankets, sunglasses, and boots. Discovering these items is half the fun and after purchasing our Skittles, we took a little time to visit with the friendly vendors whose personal stories were as intriguing as the items they had available for purchase.

2. The People

There are approximately 200 flea market vendors selling a diverse array of items on any given weekend. Some are completely new to the market, and some have been selling here for many years! We had a great conversation with one such flea market regular. Comic book salesman extraordinaire Jesse Fox has been selling at the market for just shy of two decades.

He started with one box of comics and now has rows upon rows of popular, collectible, and highly sought-after publications. Fox is a Vietnam veteran who derives great joy from helping flea market visitors obtain that special comic for which they’ve been looking high and low to find. He “loves it when their eyes get big because they find a comic book they’ve been searching out for years.”

3. The Food

Once you’ve worked up an appetite from strolling the aisles and procuring some interesting treasures and practical goods, there are several tempting options to choose from to satisfy your hunger.

Food concession options include “Tostadas” food truck that offers fresh coffee and tasty breakfast burritos in the morning. Come lunchtime patrons frequently seek out their delicious teriyaki chicken bowls, Frito pies, and of course, tostadas. During summer months, don’t miss out on the snow cones and agua frescas!

There’s no better way to satisfy your “fair foods” cravings in the “off-season” than a visit to CC’s concessions where you can purchase some of your favorite fair treats including corn dogs, hot dogs, burgers, and funnel cakes!

4. The Entertainment

The team at EXPO New Mexico is very invested in the visitor experience, including at the EXPO New Mexico Flea Market. That’s why market management goes to great lengths to ensure it is a pleasing multisensory experience for which shoppers can enjoy live music in addition to amazing finds and fantastic food and treats. To kick off Spring and continuing through the Summer, they’ve hired some of the best local bands to perform live at the market. Recent musicians who have performed at the flea market include the Tub Thumpers, the Mango Cakes, Michael Rascon, Chris Ravin Duo, and Daniel Rivera.

With the New Mexico State Fair event quickly approaching, we’ve also heard there have been visits from the mascots Phil and Phyllis, and we’re anticipating more interesting characters and fair royalty may make appearances in the coming weeks. You can keep track of upcoming performers and special events by following our EXPO New Mexico social media channels.

5. The Sense of Community

Hundreds of customers regularly attend the flea market because they know there is something new to discover each time. Additionally, there is a sense of community among the regular customers and the vendors who have been displaying their wares for many weekends, months, and years. Comics’ vendor Jesse shared with us how he has gotten to know many other long-term vendors and considers them good friends.

In recent weeks, the flea market community and the greater Albuquerque community expressed interest in helping our neighbors in Ruidoso and Mescalero, many of whom were displaced as the result of the devastating wildfires in their community. The team at EXPO New Mexico worked with our partners at the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and good friends at Houston Auto to provide a central and convenient location to drop off donations. Visitors to the flea market gained free entry when they donated one of the many requested items to benefit evacuees. The effort was a tremendous success and another wonderful example of how the flea market community comes together for the greater good.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a market regular, you’ll want to plan to shop the market soon. It’s open from 7 AM to 3:00 PM almost every weekend of the year outside of the fair, weather permitting. Check out our flea market webpage to learn more!