The Providence Flea Llc

What The Providence Flea Llc does

The Providence Flea LLC operates a juried vintage and artisan maker market based in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in June 2013, the company curates weekly Sunday markets that feature hand-picked, homemade, handcrafted, and small-batch goods from local vendors, explicitly excluding mass-produced, wholesale, or MLM products. The market combines local artisans, vintage vendors, food trucks, live music, and community non-profits into a curated retail experience differentiated from traditional flea markets. Customers attend for free while vendors pay participation fees plus the required City of Providence $10 Mobile Vendor License and the State of Rhode Island $10 30-Day Flea Market Vendor Permit; specific booth fees are disclosed only to accepted vendors.

The company operates a dual-seasonal format: outdoor markets at 195 District Park from June through September/October and indoor markets at Farm Fresh RI Market Hall from November through April (closed in January and Easter Sunday). Special Friday night themed events — including Halfway to Halloween, Halloween Market, and Black Friday Night Market — extend the revenue calendar beyond core Sunday operations. The Providence Flea uses a web-based vendor application portal (application.providenceflea.com) for vendor onboarding, market scheduling, payment processing, and site map distribution, but has no proprietary technology stack, no API, and no digital distribution channel.

The business model is a classic marketplace operator: revenue derives entirely from vendor fees, while consumers attend free of charge. The company is a privately held, founder-owned LLC headquartered at P.O. Box 2270 in Providence, RI, with 1-10 employees. Marketing is conducted through organic social media (Instagram and Facebook), email newsletter, and earned media coverage in regional outlets including Rhode Island Monthly, Go Providence, and Discovery Map. The company has hosted over 3,500 local vintage vendors since 2013 and attracts thousands of visitors annually, both local Rhode Islanders and tourists. In 2023, the company lost its original South Water Street location to development and re-launched in June 2024 at 195 District Park, where the 195 District Commission offered space.

Name

The Providence Flea Llc

Legal name

Providence Flea LLC

Website

https://providenceflea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Providence Flea LLC operates a juried vintage and artisan maker market in Providence, RI, hosting weekly Sunday markets of curated local vendors, food trucks, live music, and community non-profits. Vendors pay participation fees while customer admission is free.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Curated Artisan & Vintage Marketplace

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Festival, Fair & Event Mobile Concessions (THAFAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seasonal & Holiday Craft Supplies Retail (CRALACAI)

Keywords

• Artisan flea market
• Juried vintage marketplace
• Maker vendor market
• Craft vendor fairs
• Local artisan markets

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Vendor Fees: The Providence Flea generates revenue through vendor fees for participation in their juried markets. Vendors pay seasonal fees including a $10 Mobile Vendor License (City of Providence requirement) and a $30-Day Flea Market Vendor Permit ($10, State of RI Division of Taxation). Specific vendor participation fees are provided upon acceptance to the market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Providence Flea operates a juried, curated vintage and artisan maker marketplace in Providence, RI, hosting weekly Sunday markets where local small businesses sell hand-picked, homemade, handcrafted, and small-batch goods. The market operates seasonally outdoors at 195 District Park (June through October) and indoors at Farm Fresh RI Market Hall (November through April), accompanied by food trucks, live music, and community non-profit participation. Vendor participation is gated through a juried application process that excludes mass-produced, wholesale, or MLM items, and the company charges seasonal vendor fees while offering free admission to shoppers.

Product overview

The Providence Flea LLC operates a juried artisan and vintage marketplace with two seasonal formats: outdoor Sunday markets at 195 District Park (summer/fall) and indoor Sunday markets at Farm Fresh RI Market Hall (winter/spring). The company also runs special themed events including Halloween, Halfway to Halloween, and Black Friday Night markets. A web-based vendor application portal at application.providenceflea.com supports vendor onboarding, market registration, and management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Sunday Markets (Summer/Fall)

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosted over 3,500 local vintage vendors since 2013
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Farm Fresh RI Market HallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm Fresh RI Market Hall at 10 Sims Avenue serves as the primary indoor venue for The Providence Flea during winter, spring, and holiday seasons (November through April). This partnership enables the Flea to operate year-round by providing climate-controlled indoor space when outdoor markets are not feasible.
• 195 District ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn June 2024, The Providence Flea re-launched at 195 District Park on Peck Street after losing access to their South Water Street location. The 195 District Commission offered the space, which is across the river from the original location. This partnership provides the primary outdoor summer market venue.
• TripAdvisorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTripAdvisor listing for The Providence Flea helps drive tourist traffic and provides credibility through user reviews. The listing is part of Providence attractions category.
• Discovery MapminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiscovery Map platform provides promotional visibility for The Providence Flea as a Providence, RI destination, helping attract visitors and tourists to the market.
• Go ProvidenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGo Providence tourism platform lists The Providence Flea as a local attraction, providing promotional exposure to visitors researching Providence destinations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brooklyn Flea: Curated weekend flea market in New York City featuring vintage, antique, artisan, and food vendors with live entertainment. Directly comparable business model — juried mix of handmade, vintage, and prepared-food vendors running scheduled market days.
• Brimfield Antique Show: Large, multi-day antique and vintage flea market held several times a year in Brimfield, Massachusetts. Comparable on the vintage/antique vendor mix and event-based revenue model, though it is multi-week rather than weekly.
• Renegade Craft Fair: Juried indie craft fair that travels to multiple U.S. cities, featuring hand-selected makers and artisans. Closely comparable — both curate independent makers through an application process and charge vendor fees for booth space at scheduled events.
• Grand Bazaar NYC: Curated weekly weekend market on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with vintage, antique, artisan, and food vendors. Closely aligned with the Providence Flea's juried, weekend, vendor-fee-funded model in a dense urban setting.

Broad incumbents

• Pike Place Market: Iconic Seattle public market housing hundreds of independent artisans, farmers, and food vendors year-round. Comparable because it is a curated destination marketplace for local makers and food vendors, though it operates as permanent retail rather than event days.
• Etsy: Online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft goods with a massive vendor base and global reach. Comparable in that it serves the same artisan and vintage vendor pool, but operates digitally at vastly greater scale and competes for vendor mindshare.

Emerging players

• Faire: Wholesale marketplace connecting independent makers and brands with retailers. Comparable because it serves the same indie maker vendor segment the Flea depends on, offering a digital distribution alternative that competes for vendor attention.
• Urban Craft Uprising: Seattle-based juried indie craft show featuring hand-selected makers. Comparable curated artisan-only model, though it operates as a periodic show rather than a recurring weekly market like the Flea.

Regional players

• Portobello Road Market: Famous London weekend antiques and vintage market drawing both locals and tourists. Comparable curated vintage/antique vendor mix and weekend event cadence, but operates in a different geography.
• Shipshewana Flea Market: Large multi-vendor flea market in northern Indiana, focused on antiques, crafts, and local food. Comparable vendor mix and event-style market operations, though it is a larger regional destination in a different geography than Providence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/providenceflea
• Instagraminstagram.com/providenceflea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/providenceflea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Providence Flea Llc