Connecticut Flea Markets: The best and the biggest

To me, there are few better ways to spend a beautiful day outdoors than browsing a flea market. I will drive near and far to find the good ones. But luckily, living in Connecticut, there are some awesome options that don’t even involve me leaving the state (or just leaving the state a tiny bit, hello Brimfield Flea Market).

If you’re looking for a flea market to hit up this weekend, here are my favorite Connecticut flea markets, plus a couple right outside state lines.

The Best Connecticut Flea Markets

The Elephant Trunk

The Elephant Trunk is arguably the most famous and best-known of the Connecticut flea markets. In fact, if you’re a big antique lover, you’ve probably heard of it because it was the site of several episodes of HGTV’s Flea Market Flip.

The Elephant Trunk is in New Milford, and takes place on Sunday from April through December. The show can draw up to 475 dealers to its 55 acres site, but the volume depends on the weekend, and tends to ebb and flow through the season. There are always food vendors on site, and I consider this to be one of the more kid-friendly flea markets in the area since it’s not too big for little ones to walk through, and there’s plenty of space and plenty of snack options.

General admission for The Elephant Trunk is $3, which gets you access from 8am-2pm. Early bird tickets are also available, starting at 5:30 a.m.

Mongers Market

Mongers Market, in Bridgeport, is a little different than some of the other Connecticut flea markets on this list because it’s held indoors, which makes it feel almost like a cross between a flea market and an antiques mall. Like an antiques mall, the vendors leave their wares in their stalls week-to-week, but unlike antiques malls, Monger’s is only open on Sundays, from 10 a.m. 4 p.m.

I’ve had better luck finding furniture and larger items at Monger’s than I’ve had at other flea markets, and I think that’s because the vendors are able to leave their stalls intact week-to-week, and don’t have to worry about lugging their items to a field in a van. Just a tip if you’re looking for bigger pieces!

The cost to get into Monger’s Market is $3, and it’s a very worthwhile fee.

Woodbury Antique and Flea Market

The Woodbury Antique and Flea Market is a smaller market than the first two on our list, but it’s stilla must-see, especially for antiques lovers, as the market puts an emphasis on antiques and furniture.

It’s an outdoor flea market that operates from early spring until the end of December, weather permitting. It’s open from 7:30am – 2:30pm both Saturdays and Sundays, with Saturday generally being the bigger and busier market.

Redwood Country Flea Market

The Redwood Country Flea Market is in Wallingford, CT, and is more of a traditional flea market in that you’ll find a little bit of everything, without a major focus on antiques or furniture. Think: food, clothing, old records, collectibles, gardening and plants etc. along with some decor and small furniture.

The market is outdoors, and open on weekends year round. Hours are Fridays from 6:00 AM – 2:00 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Admission is free, and parking is $1.

Flea Market at the Crossing

This Plainville, CT flea market is indoors, making it another option for year-round antiquing and thrifting. At 10,000 square feet and 20+ vendors, this flea market is on the smaller side, which is perfect if you’re looking for something you can cover in a couple of hours. You’ll find mostly smaller items here, like decor, art, and accent furniture, mixed in with some collectibles and clothing.

Flea Market at the Crossing is open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.- 4p.m., and admission is always free.

Stratford Antique Mall

Okay, so technically, this isn’t a flea market. It’s an antiques mall, but it scratches the same itch, so I’ve added it to my list of must-see Connecticut flea markets. The Stratford Antique Center is an indoor center with over 200 semi-permanent vendors selling all sorts of art, collectibles, rugs, furniture, etc. What I love about it is that it’s open every day (from 10AM – 5PM), and since the vendors largely remain the same, there’s less urgency while you shop.

If you like something but need to go home and take measurements, you can come back a couple of days later (so long as it’s not gone). Because its open all the time, its also less crowded at any given time than a flea market, which is nice if you like to take your time and look at items uninterrupted.

Near-to-Connecticut flea markets worth the drive

Brimfield Antique Market

Brimfield is more of an antique market than a traditional flea market, but if you love old and used stuff, this place is the holy grail. Brimfield Flea Market is in Brimfield, MA, just a few miles from Connecticut’s Northern border, which makes it easily accessible from pretty much anywhere in the state. Brimfield is open three times a year, in May, July, and September.

Check out my overview of Brimfield here for more info or if you haven’t been before!

Stormville Airport Antique Show & Flea Market

If you live in Western Connecticut, it’s worth a trip over the the border to New York state to visit the Stormville Flea Market. The Stormville market is a bit like Brimfield, in that it operates only on select weekends (not every weekend) and it attracts seriously large crowds.