Brooklyn Flea And Smorgasburg Open Outdoors For The Summer

Big Moz Mozzarella Sticks Smorgasburg

Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg return for their ninth and sixth outdoor seasons, respectively, the weekend of April 2 and 3, following a successful winter run at Industry City in Sunset Park. Three of the four weekly markets will remain at the same locations as last year, while the Sunday Flea, which has been in Williamsburg for the past five years, will move to DUMBO. The four locations will span Brooklyn:

Saturday Flea in Fort Greene
Sunday Flea at Pearl Plaza (encompassing the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge, Anchorage Place, and Pearl Street Triangle) in DUMBO
Saturday Smorgasburg at East River State Park (Kent Ave. and N. 7 St.) in Williamsburg
Sunday Smorgasburg in Prospect Park at Breeze Hill (Lincoln Rd. at Ocean Ave.).

Biting Into Fedoroff’s South Philly Cheesesteak

Meet New And Return Vendors This Weekend

With new vendors joining and the return of many longtime favorites, the quality of vendors has never been higher than it will be for Opening Weekend 2016. From a curated selection of rare vintage sneakers to framed cross stitch samplers at the Flea to Shanghai-style jianbing and rock and roll cookies at Smorgasburg, the more than 250 total weekly vendors have each carved out a unique niche that makes them a destination unto themselves. And as the markets continue to grow with over a million total visitors in 2015, so have the small businesses, solidifying the Flea and Smorgasburg as two of New York City’s biggest incubators for entrepreneurs over the last decade.

The Smorgasburg team held 70 “tastings” of potential vendors at its Crown Heights office this winter, selecting them from more than 350 total applications since November. About 25 vendors were accepted for the new season, including Brunchstreet’s quail eggs on a stick; Baonanas’s artisanal banana pudding; The Choripan’s Argentinian sausage sandwich; Tramezzini’s Venetian sandwiches; and Raindrop Cake’s Mizu Shingen Mochi, a beguiling Japanese water cake.

Expanding Smorgasburg Means Expanding Bellies in LA and Upstate NY

Beyond Brooklyn, this summer will see major expansion for Smorgasburg, as the team curates two new weekly markets both launching in June: Smorgasburg Upstate and Smorgasburg LA. Smorgasburg Upstate opens June 4 in Kingston, NY, on the 70-acre site of the former Hutton Brickyards, on the banks of the Hudson River. The market will feature 75 vendors representing the best food and antiques the Hudson Valley has to offer. The bar will serve craft beers, wine, and spirits, with seating overlooking the majestic Hudson River. Kids activities and live music will round out the summer programming. The market will be located at 200 North Street, Kingston, NY, every Saturday, 10am-7pm, June 4 through late October.

Rubyzaar’s Amazing Bergamot Egg Cream

Smorgasburg LA will open Sunday, June 19, in burgeoning Downtown Los Angeles. The weekly market will take place on the five-acre site of the century-old Alameda Produce Market—at Central Ave. and E. 7 St., just south of the Arts District—on Sundays, when the produce market is closed. Smorgasburg LA will bring together dozens of food vendors, including National Pie Contest winner Nicole Rucker’s sweet and savory pie stand, Rucker’s Pie’s; Guerrilla Tacos’ famous tacos by chef Wes Avila; and the return of pop-up Ugly Drum’s pastrami stand. The market will also be a destination for sophisticated shopping from the realms of design, craft, style, vintage, wellness, and more, with vendors such as Big Daddy’s Antiques (vintage furniture) and Kristen Erickson Ceramics. Cultural events, pop-ups, and other experiences are in store too, including an expansion of popular Brooklyn events such as (RED)’s Eat Drink Save Lives national awareness campaign (June 26), National Ice Cream Day (July 17) and Brooklyn Flea Record Fair (July 31). The market will be located at 746 Market Court, Los Angeles, CA, every Sunday, 10am-6pm.

Brooklyn Flea Record Fair in May

On Saturday, May 14, the Brooklyn Flea Record Fair teams up with the Red Bull Music Academy for the fourth year, with 50 record vendors and an all-star DJ lineup including (to be released in the coming weeks). Highlight vendors include well known vintage sellers like Jammyland, with a massive collection of vintage reggae, to local labels and stores including Luaka Bop and Other Music. The Record Fair takes place adjacent to Smorgasburg in East River State Park, rain or shine, 11:00am to 6:00pm, and features a beer garden with seating and Brooklyn beers. Brooklyn Vegan is the official media partner of the Brooklyn Flea Record Fair.

Baonanas’ Filipino Banana Pudding

Smorgasburg By The Sea

Smorgasburg will also return to the Seaport District NYC for a seasonal operation, starting Memorial Day Weekend through November. Featuring six food vendors selling indoors in a 9,000sf surf-bar restaurant at 11 Fulton St., with seating for 200 indoors and hundreds more outdoors on the pedestrian plaza—where a second bar will be open—the operation will be open for lunch, dinner, and drinks seven days a week. Cultural and special events will be programmed throughout the summer, and vendors plan to offer food delivery to local residents and businesses. The food vendors for the 2016 season will be: El Tigre (Cemita’s taco and burrito stand), Home Frite, Lumpia Shack, Big Mozz Pizza, Red Hook Lobster Pound, and Wowfulls.

New Food at Berg’n

Berg’n, the Crown Heights beer hall featuring Smorgasburg food vendors, introduced a new vendor this month, El Meat Hook, from the team behind Meat Hook and Rippers. El Meat Hook will focus on southern Californian food, including a taco salad with fried chicken, pickled vegetables, beans, and cotija cheese over a bed of romaine lettuce dressed with chili lime crema, served with a crispy corn tortilla; a Los Angeles-style burrito filled with chorizo, French fries, rice and hot sauce; and a grass-fed burger topped with Monterey jack cheese, pickled chilies, lettuce and mayonnaise, on a seeded roll.

~Karen Seiger, Markets of New York City