Monday, July 14, 2025
77 ° Cloudy
77 ° Cloudy
Warwick Township's parking lot buzzed with energy on May 3 as the 14th Annual Spring Cleaning Flea Market returned for another year of community connection and treasure hunting. Hosted at the Warwick Township building’s parking lot in Jamison, the event attracted sellers and shoppers eager to clean out closets, find bargains, and enjoy a morning out with fellow community members.
This flea market has grown in size and popularity since its inception. What began with 20 sellers parked at the front of the parking lot has expanded to its capacity of 29 sellers now utilizing the front and side of the parking lot. It sells out quickly every year.
“It’s a community event, and the idea of establishing it was to bring people out to our facility and get them to see all that Warwick Township has to offer like our park and playground,” said Dan Sharapan, Director of Parks, Recreation & Open Space at Warwick Township.
This year’s market saw eager shoppers lining up well before the official 8 am start. “The first shopper showed up at 7:15 am,” Sharapan said. “Only half the vendors were even in their spots at that time, but between 7:30 to 10:30 am, it was exceptionally busy. Everyone wants to be the first one there and get the good deals.”
The event, which has always been held the Saturday before Mother’s Day, encourages residents to purge their homes of unused items, from old toys and clothes to household goods, and turn their "trash" into someone else's "treasure." Vendors receive two parking spaces: one for their vehicle and one for their items. According to Sharapan, the goal is simple: “We want them to bring home less than they brought that morning. That means it was a successful day.”
While Warwick’s event stands out, it’s also sparked a ripple effect across neighboring communities. “Other nearby neighborhoods realized this was a great event,” Sharapan noted. “They piggyback on our flea market, which is great. Many people who go to flea markets have their lists and they hit them all; they run from one to the next.”
Despite the growing interest, Warwick's event remains rooted in community values. Sharapan emphasized the importance of keeping it local and personal. “We don’t want this to become a sale of marketed products. We want people to clean out their homes and bring things to sell like old children’s toys, clothes, storage containers, things like that.”
In fact, the event’s name might soon reflect its garage-sale spirit more clearly. “We might be changing the name to ‘yard sale’ instead of ‘flea market’ so people understand it’s not a market; it’s more of a community garage sale,” Sharapan added.
With its steady turnout and neighborly feel, the Spring Cleaning Flea Market has become a hallmark of Warwick Township’s seasonal calendar, a place to declutter, find hidden gems, and connect with the local community.
As one smiling vendor said while packing up unsold wares: “It’s not about what you sell, it’s about the people you meet and the stories you hear, but it’s nice to go home with a lighter car, too.”
