By Gabriella Oakley
Correspondent
More than 1,000 people — many of whom wore black clothing and flaunted colorful hair — filled the historic Roebling Wire Works factory in Trenton, N.J., on Saturday, Oct. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 30, for the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market. A dozen food trucks and more than 200 vendors showcased their finest wares as guitar riffs floated in the background.
“The mission of founder Joseph Kuzemka was to create a flea market experience in his hometown that is unlike any other,” according to the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market website.
According to the website, the event has grown tremendously since its 2013 inception.
This marked Michael Brodka’s second time selling at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market. Brodka said he was impressed by the steady crowd streaming into the event.
“Hopefully, it’ll keep going like that throughout the day,” Brodka said.
The festival is held three times a year in Trenton. The theme for this weekend’s festival was Halloween and the cost for admittance was $5.
Melissa Coulter attended the last Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market in April and returned again this weekend.
“We loved it, so we came back,” Coulter said. “This is one of the best sale events.”
According to the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market website, vendors at the event hailed from eight states and sold everything from clothing and jewelry to artwork and antiques. Many of the items for sale were handmade.
One vendor known by the nickname Serenity sold handmade candles adorned with Halloween designs and glitter at this year’s festivities.
In addition to a plethora of punk-rock memorabilia, nerd-themed goods seemed to be quite popular. The Whimsy Menagerie store displayed jewelry featuring Harry Potter wands and accessories.
The other 200 vendors sold illustrations, vintage toys, anime goods, comic books and candles.
“The people here are just terrific,” said Linda Catz, a vendor at White Kitchen Candle Company. “The kind of people that come here are people from everywhere. People from all walks of life. I think that’s what makes it so fun.”
