Labeled one of 2014’s Best Flea Markets in America by The Huffington Post, Trenton, New Jersey’s Punk Rock Flea Market features a variety of vendors and food trucks. Presented multiple times a year, over 200 companies and individuals team together to share different forms of original art, music, clothing, antiques, jewelry and more.
Punk Rock Flea Market first time vendor and artist who goes by the name G Terado, was once interested in creating personalized zombie portraits. He said, “I started with this market called Geek Flea Market that’s held in Kearny. I was putting all my zombies out and actually ‘zombifying’ my clients.”
Currently working with the concept of life, death and rebirth, Terado has taken initiative to become his own identity and to spread it to this newly found alternative community he encountered at this year’s Punk Rock Flea Market.
Terado added, “Going in at first I really didn’t know what to expect.” However, upon entry, he realized, “They’re just people like you and me with certain interests.”
The Punk Rock Flea Market is subject to many stereotypes. With the genre of punk commonly associated with terms such as anti-authority and promiscuous, it is often that those who enjoy punk are judged.
Joleen a twenty-three year-old from, New Jersey (she declined to give her last name) told The VOICE, “We’re scary and we dress scary to [the general public]. The people who come here are judged in a poor light.”
What is seen and assumed by the general public and what is actually the case are two separate identities. Most would assume those found in the punk community are just that, punks. However, after speaking with some members of the community, they believe punk has really become just an alternative group of people.
Amanda Ciccione of Brooklyn, artist and owner of Dark Arts and Roses art company states, “I like the inclusiveness of it. It seems like there are people from every walk of life.”
Ciccione explains just how important it is to society to have differences in communities. She says, “(If we were to just) accept what everyone tells you is what you have to do and how you have to live, the world would be really boring.”
The Punk Rock Flea Market challenges the norm. The event encourages all to participate and enjoy art that is not typically seen every day.
“It’s for everybody and it’s for anybody,” said Terado. “I was set up next to a guy who made his own barbecue sauce. Across from me and that guy, there was someone selling jam and peanut butter,” he stated.
As Joleen says, “I can’t just go to Walmart and buy this stuff .” The Punk Rock Flea Market carries oddities and creative works most would overlook if this event had not existed. To many, events such as the Punk Rock Flea Market are important in raising awareness to “odd” and different local art.
Some even believe these events will improve areas of New Jersey such as Trenton. Perry, a 27-year-old from Philadelphia says, “They say Trenton is on the rise and they’re trying to improve it. I think this will definitely help.”
As a whole, Trenton’s Punk Rock Flea Market creates an environment important to the local community. While spreading awareness of local artists, eateries and musicians, the Punk Rock Flea Market welcomes an array of people. Even from someone who had no idea what to expect, Terado says, “There is zero chance that you’re going to bring someone there and they’re not going to be interested.”
