Crack open ice cold nostalgia for summer; this flea market is selling a vintage party experience 

A monthly pop-up flea market in the Crossroads Arts District taps into nostalgia — and a thirst for unexpected but inclusive finds, said Alex Uritis.

“It’s one of my favorite things to do with my best friends,” explained the Goldie’s Flea Market founder. “You go, you get a giant, ice cold beer and you walk around and just look at all the old stuff and the new stuff.”

Alex Uritis, Goldie’s Flea Market, Studio Goldie

Inspired by large-scale markets she frequented in southern California during her childhood, the University of Kansas graduate — who returned to Kansas City in early 2023 — wanted to recreate a local version of what she experienced being among a mix of vendors along Long Beach and at the Rose Bowl.

She launched Goldie’s Flea Market in November outside KC Bier Co. with about 45 businesses. The pop-up market later returned for First Fridays in Casual Animal Brewing in the Crossroads.

“I wanted to have essentially a vintage party where we have drinks and beer and food trucks and people get to walk around and buy some cool stuff,” said Uritis.

The flea market returns June 15 at 1706 Locust St. — a parking lot across from Mean Mule Distillery and Parlor in the Crossroads — with between 50 to 70 vendors planned, plus food, drinks, and music.

Click here for Goldie’s Flea Market’s monthly schedule.

“We’re mostly vintage clothing, which is my favorite,” Uritis said. “But I’d love to get more vintage home items. I know it’s hard for people to pop up as it’s a whole lot harder to move that stuff. We also have some really cool local makers and artists. So it’s a little mix of everything.”

Uritis’ ultimate goal for Goldie’s Flea Market: greater inclusivity, she noted.

“I have always felt that the vintage community can be very exclusive,” she explained. “It’s something that should be accessible to everybody — not only customers — but people who are reselling and building these small businesses. There’s not many people who can have a walk-in store. So I want to build something where people are mutually supporting one another and not feeling like, ‘Oh, they’re also in vintage; they’re my competition.’”

“At the end of the day, we’re just reselling items that people didn’t want anymore that will hopefully bring joy to someone else’s life, preserving them for a while longer,” Uritis added. “It’s important for our planet, but it is also something that should be lighthearted.”

Alex Uritis, Goldie’s Flea Market, Studio Goldie

On top of the flea market, Uritis — also an event manager for Sierra Winter Jewelry in Brookside — just launched her own interior styling and sourcing studio, Studio Goldie. Styling and events have been woven into her life for a long time, she shared.

“I’ve done a little bit of everything in terms of putting things together, making things look beautiful, and translating people’s thoughts and ideas into something physical they can walk into,” Uritis explained. “I’ve done everything from weddings to elaborate marriage proposals to window displays and clothing and photo shoots.”

For Studio Goldie, she plans to offer services of treasure hunting — like finding the durable couch a client is looking for or an antique clock like their grandma had — and interior styling.

“I’m not knocking down walls and changing the layouts of houses,” Uritis noted, “but a lot of painting, wallpaper, and just everything that’s gonna go inside and make your place feel cozy.”

She loves that her business will allow her to combine her passions for styling and getting to know people on a deep level to make her client’s space really feel like home, Uritis said.

“I know a lot of stylists can make any space look full,” she explained. “But I really want people to feel like, ‘oh, this is my style. This is me.’ So my process is very, very personal in terms of getting to know them or their favorite childhood memory or a smell that makes them feel cozy or colors that make them just feel calm or at home.”

“That’s why I love it,” Uritis continued. “I love getting those emotions out of people because (your home is) special and it’s not just another place to be. It’s yours.” 

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