A popular Vancouver market is closing its doors this spring.
The Eastside Flea is a locally-loved seasonal market for handmade artisan goods, vintage clothing, collectibles and more.
For five years now, the market has called its 20,000 sq ft space at the Eastside Studios home. The space was a hub for many East Vancouver communities, including queer party group The Warehouse which recently left the building.
Now the Eastside Flea is the last remaining tenant.
The space is "slated for demolition and we're the last folks there, right till the very end," Eastside Flea founder Bill Valentine tells V.I.A.
The market will continue every weekend before "going out with a bang" on June 15.
Valentine says that to finish off strong the Flea has expanded the bar area into a food court patio space with seating both inside and outside, and more food trucks available than ever before.
"The space is refreshed to go out with our best foot forward, but nothing too spectacular," they note.
Despite shutting its doors, the Eastside Flea aims to reopen them in the fall- once they find a new location.
While the market hasn't found a new home yet, Valentine wants the new space to be in another renovated warehouse, similar to the Eastside Studios. "The space we have now, because it was sort of a raw canvas, allowed us to really make it our own," Valentine explains. The Flea's mural-coated walls and decorated ceilings affirm this.
"We look back on these last five years really fondly, and we're really thankful for all the support we've seen from the Eastside community," Valentine says. "Spirits are high and we're looking forward to what comes next."
