Shipshewana Flea Market opens for 2017 season, 95th year in business
The largest flea market in the Midwest opened Tuesday and ABC 57 took you inside just before shoppers arrived. The Shipshewana Flea Market kicked off its 2017 season with dozens of vendors and shoppers despite the rain and chilly weather.
This particular flea market has been drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors for 95 years now and organizers are calling it a Hoosier “do not miss” tradition.
Michael Christner, Flea Market Director “We estimate between 12,000 to 15,000 people per week so we’re open for 22 weeks during the course of the year so there’s quite a few hundreds of thousands during the course of the tour season,” said Michael Christner, the Shipshewana Flea Market Director.
If you visit, you’ll have access to about 900 different open-air booths with items ranging from home décor to accessories and everything in between, even a farmers market area with fresh produce.
“It’s a family-owned operation. It’s been around since 1922 but the business started with a live-stock auction back in 1922 and has kind of evolved, but it’s remained as a small family business,” said Christner.
The flea market will open every Tuesday and Wednesday from May 2nd through September 27th as well as a few holidays. Booths open at 8:00 a.m. And close at 5:00 p.m. For more details on times and the 2017 season, click here.