I went to Indie Flea for the first time this past weekend because I wanted to check out the new Armature Works. Parking was a disaster; between the outdoor church services in the nearby park, and all the exercisers, I was just driving down the street to leave when somebody pulled out and I got their spot. After walking around to the back of the building, there were four vendors set up. I thought - is this all there is? - and then finally I noticed people were using a different back entrance to gain access to the actual flea market. Directional signs would be a major plus next time! Inside there was an excellent selection of vendors, piled far and wide into narrow rows. I would have loved to have spent more time perusing, but it got so crowded so quickly, it was impossible. One trip through and I was done. If you don't like crowds, this is NOT the event for you. One final thought - please, for the love of all that is holy, leave your strollers and your pets at home. Carry your babies, or don't bring them, but there was certainly not enough room for the overwhelming number of carriages and the mass of humanity that filled this tiny space. read more

The holiday Flea Market of December 2015 was pretty packed with a great turnout. I enjoyed the opportunity to visit the historic Rialto Theatre and the chances to see inside it. I also liked historic neighboring buildings that are starting to get repurposed as the area starts to blossom. Next door is a custom woodwork and furniture shop. They also do laser engraving and stencils. Woodshop classes. Hidden Springs Ale Works is next door on the other side. It is a newish brewery spot and tasting room in a warehouse space. The Heights YMCA, Carnegie library building, Waterworks Park and Ulele Restaurant, Cafe Hey, Oceanic Oriental Market, and Cafe Hey are also nearby. The indie vendors are the main attraction at the Indie Flea. Several crafters of leather goods, belts, purses, bags, a lovely smock and bag maker, Dark Cycle and other local t-shirt and clothing design companies, some cake and donut vendors, a few food trucks, candles, soaps, wreaths and succulents, cards, vintage items and such as well as good people watching. Disney Springs / Downtown Disney this ain't. These hipsters are fashionistas!!! I wore my best Americsn Apparel vintage tee. This is a great project by community minded peeps. Buy local. Love local. Live local. And fight Mayor Buckhorn's TBX highway expansion that will decimate, destroy and divide these historic neighborhoods once again in favor of suburban commuters and Buckhorn's big business construction buddies. read more

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I couldn't believe how packed Indie Flea was today. Holy moly was everyone in Tampa there. Parking was a project in itself. Everyone parked there so close together like sardines, and I was worried our car door would be hit. It was okay. So happy it was not. We started off at Hidden Ale. I never knew it was there. What a nice surprise. There were about 10 vendors in there as well as a handful on the sidewalk next to there. Then we went inside the Rialto Theater. There was about 5 or 6 rows of vendors and then also vendors on the two sides as well as the room next door, and outside side. This was very happening. Tons of fun stuff to be bought. My faves were the dog vendor that actually has a store in Seminole Hts. I loved the ohh lala bakery with the sinful desserts. Why do desserts in mason jars look so appealing to me. They also had donuts, cold Brewed coffee, ginger beer, essential oils, plants, tablets, local art. There is so much to see. They had food trucks too like Surf and Turf and a fry truck. This is a really cool market, and when it comes back around, it's definitely a fun spot to shop! read more

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I've been to Tampa's Indie Flea a handful of times starting in November of 2016. During the thirteen months I've been visiting, I've noticed the event growing and changing for the better. My first experience echoed some of the other reviews. It was pretty lame compared to the Brooklyn version. The vendors all seemed to be doing the same thing (how many different ways can you really pot a succulent?). The food offerings were unique (and some were vegan!) but were few and far between. In recent months, the indie flea has upped its game. The vendors are becoming more varied (lightbulbs, locally printed t-shirts, candles, succulents, jewelry, donuts, gluten free baked goods, vegan desserts, ginger bear, coffee, artwork, chocolate, toys, handbags....and succulents to name a few). Local food trucks and food vendors have jumped on board making this more of a monthly event to attend. Parking is still atrocious but, the rumblings I heard at the December flea, is that it will be shifted over to the Armitage Works when it is done. I think this move can only benefit the flea as it will alleviate some of the parking concerns and hopefully free up space for better movement between vendors (although I'll say the lack of movement and flow inside Rialto is nothing compared to the Brooklyn version...you want to see crowded, go there.) I'm excited to see how this event continues to grow and expand once it is moved to the Armitage Works. Indie Flea serves a very important purpose. It offers a bridge between indie consumer and indie vendor that was severely lacking in the Tampa area before the flea came around. read more

Missed the November inaugural opening of this Tampa Heights monthly market. So made sure I was part of the crowds that seemed to be arriving from every direction when it returned on a Sunday afternoon in December. This is such a great scene that I can only hope that the market becomes a fixture for this neighborhood. Parking may require circling the surrounding blocks a few times and a walk to reach this part of Franklin Street where vendors set up along the sidewalk, inside the Rialto Theatre and adjacent Hidden Springs Ale Works. So comfortable walking shoes, bags to carry off purchases and a little patience while slowly winding your way among the various vendors will greatly enhance your experience. There are all kinds of items for sale from original art, handcrafted candles and soaps, jewelry and plants to greeting cards, leather bags, clothing (new and not-so-new) and records. There are some food trucks and food and beverage vendors so be prepared to treat yourself to some tasty treats such as baked goods, cold brewed coffee, craft beer and cold-pressed juice. As crowded as it was, people were very congenial as they made their way around to view the various tabletop displays. Held the third Sunday of each month, I will faithfully mark my calendar for Indie Flea Market future trips and maybe add on a visit to Ulele, which is nearby. read more

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The concept of Indie Flea and all of its components are great. Exploring the makings of local artists and crafters is not only great for my home and stomach, but the community. Also, the way they handled parking was great. They had folks directing traffic, which led people to spots quickly and efficiently. The downsides: EXTREMELY crowded at the Armature location. I highly recommend going to this event in St. Petersburg. I'm not sure if there's a huge size difference or if the Tampa location is more popular, but Indie Flea just felt too big for this location. A lot of the vendors are fairly priced, some a little pricey. It's really a mixed bag with such a variety of products and services as well. While I like the variety and exploration aspect, I wish that there was either a map of vendors or organized in a specific way so that I could more quickly find what I was looking for. I was looking for jewelry, and actually a specific vendor, and it took me a long time to find them. read more

So glad my boyfriend & I ventured over to Tampa for this place. An indoor market with some outside vendors too, loads of food, & a pretty great selection. Your typical plants, soaps, candles, and prints where there but this place also had lots of flowers to make your own bouquets, a couple booths selling furniture, several jewelry booths & a couple artist booths. Plus there was ice pops, ice cream sandwiches, vegan cookies, & other small bites to enjoy if you didn't want a full meal or wanted to try a little bit of everything. We were quite hungry, so we popped over to Zukku inside part of the building & had sushi burritos. You can customize them or do customizable poke bowls, or order classic rolls. They were great portion sizes & incredibly fresh & tasty! I also scooped out some prints on dictionary pages, a few plants potted in old drawers & metal pumpkins, & my boyfriend nearly bought a massive tarpon artwork piece until we realized it wouldn't fit in the car along with the furniture we had already picked up today. It's an interesting location too; on the water in an area that seems to still be being built up. Parking was $5 but today that got you a $5 voucher good at any vendor in there, so if you bought something you're parking went towards it which was a nice idea I haven't encountered before. It was very crowded when we went though, so if crowds aren't your thing then go later, closer to 2:30 I'd say, but you might miss out on some great treasures if you do; it happened to me at two vendors when I told myself I'd come back later - the pieces had already been snatched up by the time I got back. read more

Indie Flea - Customized bouquet from Posies, one of the outdoor vendors - Flea Markets Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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For what it is, Indie Flea is cool. If you're into that sort of thing. We went this weekend to see Armature Works (awesome, BTW), but probably won't visit again. On to what it is... Very crowded. I think every hipster and hipstrette in the greater Tampa Bay area is mandated to come to this thing. It was so suffocatingly crowded that you couldn't get around. The venue spaces are large, but still ... thousands of people, butt to butt, crawling through. Once you found an interesting vendor, you had to wade through the crowd at the booth to see the offerings. And the offerings ... Here's an idea of an exchange my wife had while looking at some jewelry... Hipstrette vendor chick: So all of our jewelry is sterling silver, 100 percent organic, vegan, gluten and cruelty free and sourced from a single family in the hills of Guatemala who work to stop the deforestation of rain forests when they're not working the mines. Wife: Hmmm, yeah, OK. These little wire hoops, how much are they? HVC: Those are $119, and you also have an opportunity to donate an additional $25 to the Love, Hope and Peace Fund. Wife: Hmmm, yeah. Wow. Have a nice day! OK, so that's WILD hyperbole and nowhere near direct, actual quotes ... but the place does have that kind of vibe. I'd give it two stars because of the gawdawful crowds, but I guess you can't really help the popularity of a thing. People obviously love it. Not us. I can't imagine voluntarily going back. read more

The Indie flea is a great concept, in a great location. I'm glad to live in a city that has something like this. However, the Indie flea is a victim of its own success. To get there by car, you must wait in very long lines for distant, tight parking. Inside, there is just wall-to-wall people, making squeezing around others necessary even in the most polite of crowds. It is difficult to get to the booth that you want to shop at, much less linger there awhile and look at things. Lines for food and drinks are dozens of people long. If you don't mind an enormous crowd, I suppose it would be fine. As for me, I will wait until perhaps a slower season, if there is one to hope for? read more

Indie Flea - Much too busy for my taste. Still, there were clearly lots of interesting shops behind all the people. - Flea Markets Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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After stalking the Indie Flea Instagram for months, my husband and I were stoked to finally make the trip down from Gainesville. We saw the option to purchase VIP tickets online ($10/per person) for entry an hour early and decided to go for it. When we arrived we found parking right across from the Rialto in a small lot. Mind you, we were here an hour early, so don't expect to find parking so easily if you arrive at noon. Once we returned to the lot there were so many cars parked every which way that we could barely squeeze out of our parking space! If you drive a luxury vehicle that you don't want dinged up, find somewhere else to park. Alright, onto the market. We wandered around the outside vendors first. Nothing impressive, so we went inside. My husband got a coffee, it was good, but nothing mind blowing. Our daughter got a succulent planted in a plastic dinosaur, it's pretty rad actually, but it was expensive. Our mega find was handmade wooden shelving. The shelves are awesome and the vendor gave us a great deal. All in all, it was okay, but once was enough. Considering we spent $30 on VIP tickets and drove all the way from Gainesville, we were expecting more. It seemed way cooler on the 'gram. read more

What a neat market! Indie Flea is hosted monthly at the historic Rialto theatre in Tampa Heights. The market features unique local vendors showcasing their products. There is clothing, art work, décor, food, drinks - you name it. All of the vendors I met were very friendly and passionate about their products. There were many items that I had not seen elsewhere and I really enjoyed getting my shop on. When I was done at Rialto Theatre, I popped over to Hidden Springs Ale Works to grab a beer and was delighted to see that there were even more vendors there. I will likely make the Indie Flea a monthly tradition and I look forward to seeing what vendors and items there are next month. Do yourself a favor and check it out! You will be surprised what you find. read more

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. How to say this. Nice try, but no cigar? This event needs some help. They need to diversify the offerings, add lots of food vendors, I don't know. It just seemed like everything here was lame. For ideas on how to improve, please see: http://brooklynflea.com/. Maybe the day I went (Feb flea) was an off day. I was in and out in 10 minutes. Oh and by the way, this flea is indoors but open-air. So am I to assume that in the hot months there will be no A/C in this place? Because if that's the case, you are excluding people like me who don't go anywhere without A/C between the months of May and September. I hope it gets bigger and better. Until then, I'll stick to my jaunts to Brooklyn. read more

By far the best market in the Tampa Bay Area. The variety of handcrafted items is second to none from CBD products, body care, candles in beer bottles and dinosaurs, prints on old dictionary pages, plants and succulents, incredible handmade jewelry, crystals, homemade cookies, rad fashion, and vintage and I know I'm forgetting things. There are always new vendors too but I personally love being able to shop my favorites month after month. Parking is $5 but they give you a $5 coupon to use at the bar or restaurants. read more

$5 to park and then walk two blocks in muddy construction to be told at the door "dog friendly" means "dogs are only welcome outside in certain areas." Drove out of our way and paid for parking to immediately leave. read more

We were blown away at how mobbed the market was. Such a cool venue too! We were time challenged but definitely plan to return again!

I've visited a few of these markets and after some time, it becomes pretty repetitive. It's the same small shops with unreasonably priced merchandise, long lines. This market only caters to pretentious hipsters who are willing to attend the almost identical market every month. Parking is a nightmare and not the most welcoming place. No connection and excitement to this market anymore read more

I can not believe I've missed out on this event all these years!!! We met some great folks and even met a family from India visiting friends and they were loving the place! The market was a great getaway with my family and they were happy to finds things they usually cant/don't find or see anywhere else. The vendors were great and always ready and open to discuss their products. In the food court area there was a live band and GREAT food choices. We had a great time and put the dates in my calendar until next year so I wont miss a Sunday if I don't have too. read more

As someone who loves small businesses and local art & crafts & most indie-ish things, it's hard for me to give them one star. But without going into boring details let me just say I don't recommend going here, there are definitely *some* good vendors but not enough to make it worthwhile. Everything is overpriced. Plus the people running it are unprofessional. I have experienced it first hand and I have spoken to several vendors and customers who feel the same. I suggest you skip this one and try another craft market somewhere else! read more

Again the concept is great, I love every thing local supporting small business, but even in armature works the space is way to small. Non stop bumping into people. Are you hungry? Why not wait in a line for 30 mind and try to get food when you could go up the street to one of Tampa's amazing restaurants and get lunch. Pro tip get there early and get lunch else where even though the restaurants in there are amazing it's not worth the lines and stress. read more

Such UNIQUE & CREATIVE vendors! I feel like I am engaging in true community when I visit every month! Definitely has become I look forward to! read more

I, like many others, have seen the event on FB for the IndieFlea and became "interested" in the event but never attended. Well, we finally went yesterday. The parking situation was ridiculous. The lot across from the Rialto was jammed and very odd. Many accidents waiting to happen. After finally squeezing into a spot, we made our way to the Rialto. You could tell it was going to be busy, but that meant to be success! In the middle of a HOT July Florida day, I was anxious for some AC. Well, big disappointment here. Either the AC was off for the IndieFlea or broken. It was miserable. We made it to the restroom first. You know it's bad when a mom and infant are in the bathroom and the mom says "we just came in here for some cool air-the baby was getting overheated while shopping." We headed for the main part of the Rialto to shop and honestly folks, we passed two booths and my partner and I said "nope, we can't do this." Between the hoards of people and lack of air, it was unbearable [for us]. So we left. Will I come back? Maybe in the winter time... read more