Brooklyn Flea Leaves Williamsburg Home, Smorgasburg Stays Put

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — The Brooklyn Flea fled. The artsy antiques market’s organizers are looking for a new home after residents complained of overcrowding in East River State Park.

“The Saturday Flea in Williamsburg is on hiatus,” Brooklyn Flea organizers wrote on Facebook Wednesday afternoon.

“We look forward to finding a new home for the Saturday Flea soon. Stay tuned!”

Brooklyn Flea has been sharing the waterfront park near Kent Avenue and North 9th Street with Smorgasburg since April and was expected to appear in Williamsburg every Saturday throughout the summer.

But when local residents complained that the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg vendors commandeered the public park, owners Eric Demby and Jonathan Butler decided to cancel the event, DNAinfo first reported.

Smorgasburg will continue to serve Williamsburg its share of prison cuisine and spaghetti donuts and Brooklyn Flea will be up and running in DUMBO on Sunday as usual.

The news was welcome in Fort Greene, where residents pleaded on Twitter for the market’s return.

@bkflea @smorgasburg Any chance for a return to Fort Greene? DUMBO and W'burg are such a haul, and I need my Flea fix!
— (((Zach Linder))) (@zachlinder) May 3, 2017

@bkflea @smorgasburg we'll take you back in Fort Greene!
— joel v melton (@JVMmonogram) May 3, 2017

Image via Evanscott7/Wikimedia Commons