A Day Out: Los Feliz Flea at Vintage Land
A few months ago, I went to Thriftapalooza at the Pomona Fairplex. I enjoyed it so much I was already craving the next one. It’s only held once a year, but thankfully LA always comes through for the thrifters.
I’ll be hitting the Rose Bowl Flea Market next month, but for now I went to Los Feliz Flea at Vintage Land this past Saturday. Thanks to the almighty algorithm, it recently popped up on my Instagram like Thriftapalooza did on my TikTok, so I had to check it out.
Vintage Land is known as a go-to destination for vintage finds, artisanal goods, and local food and drink. Los Feliz Flea is one of their events where small businesses and independent artisans can showcase their goods and connect with customers.
Although I didn’t score as many finds as I did at Thriftapalooza, I still took home a couple of accessories I loved and enjoyed browsing overall.
The Venue
Vintage Land has plenty of space for many vendors and even a free parking structure above it, which is a blessing since LA loves paid parking. It also has a rooftop area for even more vendors. It was supposed to rain that day, so nothing happened up there, but I’d love to come back when it’s active. And best of all, there are clean restrooms available, which I really appreciate when I’m walking around for hours.
The Vibe
The vibe at Los Feliz Flea felt similar to Thriftapalooza with its massive space. It runs from 11 am to 5 pm and when I showed up around noon it was pretty quiet. I figured the low turnout was because rain was expected, even though it never came. It picked up a bit later, but never felt crowded.
Someone had music blasting and the playlist was all over the place. Sometimes it fit the vintage vibe with tracks like Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love,” and other times it shifted into random Halloween-sounding music. Whoever handles the music should read the room because playlists can make or break the shopping experience.
Photo by Caleb Wright on Unsplash
Aside from the music, I liked the mix of vintage clothing, accessories, home goods, trinkets, and more. One vendor had framed vintage ads that were cool. If I had more space at home, I would’ve brought one back.
Another vendor had tons of vintage earrings, necklaces, small purses, and a whole table of watches. It was a little overwhelming to sort through, but still fun to browse. I didn’t end up buying anything from there, but the pieces were unique and cute.
The Finds
Many vendors had a mix of styles from vintage band tees to athletic brands and even army gear, but nothing really spoke to me.
I overheard a woman looking at a suede, flower-embroidered belt say, “This is something I’d wear if I was a different person.” I laughed to myself because I felt the same way about a furry, animal-print coat I saw. It was cute, just not me.
Photo by Shelley Pauls on Unsplash
I’ve been hunting for these silver hoop earrings like the ones Daisy Jones wears in Daisy Jones & The Six because I love late ‘60s and early ‘70s jewelry, but they’ve been a challenge to find. Maybe the Rose Bowl Flea will surprise me next month!
I ended up taking home these light-blue tinted oversized square sunglasses that gave me a late ‘70s vibe and an adorable gold butterfly ring. Not exactly vintage, but definitely my style.
