At the Regional Market, it’s part Farmer’s, part Flea

/ August 20, 2015
Between NBT Bank Stadium and Destiny USA lies the Regional Market.

Between NBT Bank Stadium and Destiny USA lies the Regional Market.

On Saturdays and Sunday when the weather’s right, Central New Yorkers don’t seem to mind fighting for a parking spot at the Regional Market.

Nestled in the middle of NBT Bank Stadium, Destiny USA and the Transportation Center, this spot holds a series of sheds built on a parking lot that at first blush, doesn’t look like much.

But put a bunch of vendors and folks hungry for their goods, and you’ve got this curious blend of humanity. It’s open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the two weekend days year-round and also on Thursdays from May through November.

I wrote about it for this week’s Mark It Up community column at Syracuse Public Media site waer.org. If you’d like to read the story and see more pictures, click the link below.

http://waer.org/post/fruit-vegetables-and-plenty-eye-opening-other-regional-market#stream/0

Here’s where people go to find their fruits, flowers and flea market curiosities sitting aisle by aisle.

Pretty floral arrangements.

Pretty floral arrangements.

Peachy keen.

Peachy keen.

Who needs?

Who needs?

What are your favorite items to look for at a flea market? What’s your best flea market purchase ever, and why? What was your worst flea market purchase ever, and why?

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42 thoughts on “At the Regional Market, it’s part Farmer’s, part Flea”

  1. A few months after our 17-year-old cat, Tumbleweed died, I went to the Farmers Market in Syracuse for a specific purpose. I came home with a little black kitten that we named Shadow. A few weeks later we added another kitten from the SPCA, Bond … Jane Bond. I also remember Farmers Market when I was a teen. My folks would go there and buy up all kinds of fresh produce. Then Mom would can most for the winter. Great place. I miss it. 😉

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  2. Just looked at the prices on those veggies bro Mark. WHOA!!! No one from this area could afford to eat if we had to pay that much for fresh veg. Regional differences I suppose, plus no one around here earns as much as your area. I’m always willing to pay more for fresh, organic food at the Farmers Market, but around here we get a lot more bang for the buck — including the bucks that are shot in the woods sometimes, although you won’t catch me ever eating Bambi or his family. I’ve tried it and don’t like the “wild” taste. Plus, I’m almost a vegetarian since my swallowing trouble.
    My only purchase in the flea department was a first edition book of Civil War dispatches between the Union generals, copied verbatim in all the poor spelling and horrible grammar, and given to my brother as a Christmas gift. He visits battlegrounds on his infrequent vacations, and this was his favorite gift ever. I got a cough from the fleas, so never went back to that area.

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    • You all know better than I, so I will wonder too why the farmer at the stand I photographed for the colorful and interestingly arranged veggies priced them so high.

      I don’t eat venison either. I tried it and do not like the taste at all.

      And don’t go where the dust makes you cough, that’s a great call always. 🙂

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      • I live in a low income area bro Mark, so everything here is priced lower than other places. That’s why I like it here.
        Venison has a wild taste that I really hate. It can be soaked in salt water or buttermilk for 2 or 3 days to take that out, but why bother? Just not worth the trouble.
        And if I tried to stay away from the dust, I would have to live in a capsule. They are shaking it out of the walls here now that they HAVE to get the place finished or pay a fine for each day over the deadline of October 5. Not to mention the pollen in the air outside the building. Just have to wait til winter and hope for a cold one, as much as I hate that thought.

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  4. love your title, and love to visit the markets with the fleas every so often. i never buy anything too big, but i do buy produce when at farmer’s markets and enjoy the adventure of it all.

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  5. Awesome photos Mark. I went to one of the Farmer’s Markets in Calgary for the first time ever a few weekends ago. I was overwhelmed by the size of it and did not even go to the flea market side. I left with the best smelling and tasting strawberries I’ve ever come across though. ❤
    Diana xo

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  6. There is Huge one about 35 minutes from us. From Oranges to Luggage you name it it’s there. I use to go much more often and have a blast. There are indoor (a/c) and outdoor. New or used stuff. In the past, I have found some really great deals on new items. Since we have a local 3rd generation produce market on the Island I tend to (what I do not grow myself) purchase from them. Not lacking anything for certain here. The Gatorette.

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  7. Here in PA., the flea markets sell junk, but also antiques. My best purchase ever was an antique Singer sewing machine with cabinet, foot pedal, padded stool. I live in farmer’s market and flea market heaven. There is one I use that also features a cattle auction…talk about seeing the source of your food ! ☺

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  9. Somewhere around my parents, there’s a huge flea market, and I love to go. I love the enormous strawberries and figs. The best thing I bought there was a pair of earrings, square-cut abalone with silver hooks. I get compliments on them all the time. They’re very unusual looking.

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  11. There used to be a really good flea market in Brooklyn called Caesar’s Bay Bazaar, right near the Verrazano bridge. There are almost always a couple of stalls that sell rock memorabilia or cool rocker clothing. Those are my favorite. Here is L.A. the flea markets are usually pop up and I don’t make it out although my son did play at the Melrose Trading Post so I got to walk around there. Everything I liked was too expensive though.

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  12. Hmmm, I think I have been to one flea market in my life. I don’t remember buying anything, but after pondering this for a bit, I think I did buy the boys some Yu-Gi-Oh cards, some of which turned out to be fakes (that was when they were really into that stuff). I like the old signs.
    My dad told he used to go to the Flea Circus in England when he was just a lad, and they had fleas with tutus on that did high-wire acts. I think he may have been pulling my leg. But at the time I believed him, just like I believed the Sea Monkeys that you could order out of the back of the comic books would grow to be a family, the Mom would wear an apron and they would do family stuff. I was really disappointed when I found out they were simply brine shrimp.

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  13. There are so many farm stands around here now–it’s wonderful. I mainly visit the small farm stands to buy fresh produce, but we also have many “Amish” markets in the are. Of course, in Philadelphia there is also Reading Terminal Market. I love wandering through all of them.

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  15. I love farmer’s markets Mark. To walk where rows and rows of hand raised produce and artisan products are proudly and personally displayed, is an honor. You can see the pride and sense of ownership that shines in the vendors’ eyes. Everything is so fresh, much of the produce picked that morning. I seldom buy much but the sights and smells are amazing.

    Thanks for the memories.

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