Fort Lauderdale's Flamingo Flea Celebrates Five Years of Local Goods, Eats, and Craft Beers

Fort Lauderdale native and resident Carley Sumner was clearly onto something with her Flamingo Flea market from the get-go.

In March 2019, she cultivated 45 vendors selling homemade treats, crafts, and vintage goods under the roof of Tarpon River Brewing in Fort Lauderdale. Nearly 1,000 people showed up on its very first day, and it's been a hit ever since.

Fast forward to 2024, and Flamingo Flea is turning five years old. Now, Sumner has nearly 70 flea markets and pop-up shindigs scattered throughout Florida under her belt — an impressive feat for any entrepreneur.

"The most important thing has been seeing some of our vendors, who were with us from the very first flea, now opening their own brick and mortars, leaving their full-time jobs, and committing to their dreams," she tells New Times. "This is more than a shopping experience; it's about spending some time with the talented people and businesses in our area, listening to some live music, and really feeling the energy."

Among the Flamingo Flea success stories is the Crumb Up. A husband-wife-owned, handcrafted dessert business hailing from Lake Worth, the Crumb Up was among the flea's first vendors. Since then, it has opened an online store and delivery operation, expanded to large-scale festivals, and recently opened a food truck.
Another success story is the mother-daughter-owned the Wallflower Shoppe. A purveyor of homemade décor, candles, skin care products, and more, the spot was a regular at Flamingo Flea events from the beginning. After seven months of construction, this past December, the Wallflower Shoppe opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Cape Coral.

Currently, the Flamingo Flea rotates venues every other month between Tarpon River Brewing in Fort Lauderdale and Crazy Uncle Mike's in Boca Raton. Throughout the years, more than 1,500 different vendors and 15 venues have participated. Sumner says she now receives more than 100 applications to fill 35 vendor spots at each event.

The ambiance at each Flamingo Flea is as wholesome and feel-good as it gets with live music, the turnout of a whole community, dogs (who are always welcome), and the partner breweries who often offer up special deals and menus.

"We live in a pretty transient area, with people moving in and out all the time," she says. "We want to tap into making people feel like they are a part of this community. At Flamingo Flea, they can meet new people and have a sense of belonging."

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, Flamingo Flea has a number of events slated through June, including an anniversary flea at Tarpon River Brewing (March 10), Crazy Uncle Mike's (April 20), and its bi-annual Puppy Brunch at Tarpon River Brewing (April 28).

Flamingo Flea. Noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, at Tarpon River Brewing, 280 SW 6th St., Fort Lauderdale; flamingoflea.com. Admission is free.