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4w ago

Berkeley Flea Market Closes After 50 Years With City Eyeing Relocation

Sustained shortfalls of up to $10,000 monthly resulted from lost grants alongside steep vendor losses

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Debo Fashokun, left, of Rema Collections, helps customer Dr. Eva Silot Bravo as she shops at the Berkeley Flea Market on April 30, 2022. The market has closed after 50 years, citing financial losses and uncertain plans to relocate amid housing development near the Ashby BART station.
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Overview

  • The market shut its doors permanently on June 28, 2025, ending five decades of weekend gatherings at the Ashby BART station parking lot.
  • General manager Yasin Khan reported losses of $8,000 to $10,000 each month by spring 2025 as vendor fees failed to cover operating costs.
  • Vendor participation plunged from around 100 pre-pandemic sellers to roughly 20 in recent years amid unmet grant requests and volunteer shortages.
  • For 50 years the market acted as both an economic engine and cultural gathering place for Berkeley’s Black, Latino and immigrant communities.
  • City of Berkeley and BART are evaluating relocation options, and organizers remain hopeful the market will return after station construction and new funding align.