Hamilton Flea returns for season Saturday, has more than 50 unique vendors

The novel and uniqueness of the Hamilton Flea, the vendors and the products is “kind of what sets it apart,” Grubb said.

“It’s honestly a great event to come to on a Saturday, whether it’s with your friends,” she said. “You can spend a few hours in downtown Hamilton looking at cool and unique items, grabbing a beer from the beer booth, and just hanging out for a bit.”

It’s only at the place where you can find “many cool, unique items that you can find,” she said, adding there may be other urban flea events, like the City Flea in downtown Cincinnati in Washington Park,

Historically, a couple of thousands of people attend each of the monthly fleas over the course of its six hours, and Grubb said people make a day of the event.

“The Flea was built on a love for the city, and to further the city’s efforts to grow small businesses and local vendors and to help the downtown revitalization. That really is why it exists,” said Grubb. “The businesses downtown, they definitely see an increase of traffic on flea days. The bars, restaurants, and even the shops. We find people typically make a whole day of it. Just as unique as the city is, the Hamilton Flea is a pretty unique event as well.”

The Hamilton Flea was founded by residents Lauren and Ty Smallwood, first being conducted in 2016, it was in German Village for a couple of years before eventually moving to Marcum Park. The Smallwoods were honored in 2017 by the Hamilton chamber at its annual Vision Awards.

The Hamilton Flea was an instant hit in the city, and Lauren Smallwood told the Journal-News in 2018 that she was not surprised by the support.

“The success of the Hamilton Flea is a direct reflection of the spirit of Hamilton,” she told the Journal-News in 2018. “Initially, I knew the support of Hamiltonians would be there.”

For those early weekend risers, there will yoga at the park at 9 a.m., an hour before the start of the Hamilton Flea. The flea runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every second Saturday from May to September and features food trucks, a live DJ and a beer booth.

HAMILTON FLEA

The annual Hamilton Flea, a curated urban artisan market, is held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second Saturday of May through September at Marcum Park on Dayton Street in downtown Hamilton. Here are the 2022 dates: