Garden State Flea Markets is an organization that brings pop-up markets to New Jersey featuring vendors selling vintage, handmade goods, crafts, oddities, clothing, antiques, and so much more. Rorie Alexander, the owner and operator, has been running this one-woman show full time for the past three years, bringing various themed markets to locations all across New Jersey.
“I used to co-own a little vintage store where I started hosting monthly markets,” Alexander said. “I was able to gain experience there while also connecting with a network of local artisans, crafters, and creatives that I realized didn’t have a consistent platform or space to sell their items, except for pop-ups like the ones I hosted. I saw a need for more and wanted to help more people.”
Helping unique vendors showcase their work to new audiences is now exactly what Garden State Flea Markets does. One upcoming themed event is the Punk Rock Flea Market, which will be held at Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City on Sunday, March 1, from noon to 6 p.m.
This will be the first Punk Rock Flea Market ever held in Atlantic City and the first of its kind produced by Garden State Flea Markets.
As a fellow punk, it’s a concept Alexander had been thinking about for a long time after realizing one had never been done in Atlantic City. Anchor Rock Club had long shared that same vision, and through her well-established network, a friend of a friend connected the two.
“It was truly a match made in heaven when we were connected,” Alexander said. “We were very aligned in what we wanted to do, and they’ve really been instrumental in helping bring this vision to life.”
Both floors of Anchor Rock Club will be transformed into punk rock heaven, with 40 vendors scattered throughout selling everything from crafts and art to vintage clothing and antiques. Both bars will be open, with the downstairs bar offering drink specials and the upstairs featuring a coffee and boba bar. Pastries and snacks will be available, along with a rotating lineup of punk rock DJs throughout the event. Guests can come for the vendors and stay for the music, drinks, and good times.
The stage area of Anchor Rock Club will be converted into “vintage heaven.” All vintage clothing vendors will be set up on the stage, complete with full-length mirrors and designated try-on areas, essentially a mini vintage shop within the Punk Rock Flea Market.
“I feel this will be more of a community gathering too,” Alexander said. “When I was younger, there were spaces for punk rockers to gather, events and places to go and talk with other like-minded people, but over the years there’s been less and less of that. Anchor Rock Club is doing a great job of trying to bring that back with their independent shows and events, which is why I was so happy to partner with them. It’s the perfect location for a punk rock flea market.”
When it comes to selecting vendors, Rorie looks for those she believes will not only be great to shop from but will also bring something different, items people may not have seen before.
“I’m most excited for the chance to give all these creators who are outside the norm a platform to sell their items,” Alexander said.
“It’s about time Atlantic City got access to all these rad and weird vendors in one place.”
Alexander hopes that after this inaugural event, the Punk Rock Flea Market becomes a recurring event in Atlantic City.
“I’m really hopeful because of the outpouring of vendor applications we received,” Alexander said. “Not just from South Jersey either, we had applicants from Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It’s not only invigorating our local scene, but it’s also making people think of Atlantic City as a destination for events like this.”
“I hope people feel really good knowing they supported businesses that don’t necessarily have storefronts,” Alexander said. “The items they’re buying aren’t things you can just get at a retail store or on Amazon. These are items people poured their heart and soul into, and I think that’s what really sets this event apart.”
Anyone interested in attending the Punk Rock Flea Market can purchase tickets online in advance or at the door for $10.
Photo credit: Garden State Flea Markets
