A group of University of Iowa alumni wanted to bring a space to Iowa City for artists to sell vintage and locally-sourced goods. Since the first IC Flea last October, the market has doubled in size.

“Iowa City is a college town, and Gen Z’ers love second-hand clothing,” IC Flea co-organizer Sid Peterson said. “I think our generation really appreciates shopping small, and it’s a priority for a lot of people our age these days.”

UI alumni Sid Peterson, Meg Lowe, and Molly Kresse organized IC Flea to originally bring their friends together to sell art and clothing. Peterson was familiar with Des Moines’ East Village Bazaar, a market held in the East Village of downtown Des Moines meant to promote local business, and wanted to create a similar event in Iowa City.

The flea market drew a crowd of over 200 people on Aug. 13 for its final market of the summer before it resumes in the fall. The number of vendors continues to grow, Lowe said, including new performances by local musicians and food vendors at the market.

“That’s probably my favorite part … seeing these vendors really take off with their brand and with new opportunities,” Lowe said.

In summer 2022, Peterson and her co-organizers pitched the idea for the market to Public Space One Director John Engelbrecht. PS1 is an Iowa City-based art center that aims to provide resources and accessible programs for local artists and creators. Engelbrecht helped organizers adapt the Close House space for the flea market.

“I think these kinds of low-barrier, low-risk opportunities for people to try out their ideas, whether it’s putting their art out into the world or putting a new product out into the world or food out into the world, really fits with the spirit of this community and offers a stepping stone for some of these businesses,” Engelbrecht said.

As the market’s popularity grows, its organizers are creating other events. In a recent Instagram post, they announced the Northside Night Market on Sept. 1 from 6-11 p.m. that will feature more than 30 vendors and live music at the James Theatre in Iowa City.

IC Flea vendor Claire Hetherington, the creator and curator of Odd Girl Vintage, a Des Moines-based vintage shop, said one of the best feelings is finding a one-of-a-kind vintage piece.

“I want people to find that within my collection,” Hetherington said.

Ciara Von Holten, founder of the handmade jewelry shop Anahata and Soul, has created and sold jewelry for about six years following her transition out of military service. Von Holten sells earrings and necklaces, as well as handmade journals and personalized tarot card readings.

She said she noticed the growing variety of vendors at the market because of the organizer’s community outreach.

“As someone who does this full-time, I’ve experienced a lot of markets that aren’t diverse or inclusive,” Von Holten said.

RELATED: Iowa City Flea Market features Iowa City artists and sellers

Lainey Johnson, a UI fourth-year student, said at the Aug. 13 market that she heard about the event from Lowe and saw promotions on Instagram.

“The flea markets are a really good way to meet people with similar interests and to try out different styles through what vendors are selling,” Johnson said.

Not only has the flea market fostered a community of artists and art lovers, but it has also encouraged business connections.

Nomadic Foods, a mobile vegetarian and vegan restaurant, recently launched a full menu at Tru Coffee & Threads on North Linn Street in downtown Iowa City. The business owners met at the IC Flea, and their businesses later converged.

Owners of Nomadic Foods Molly Kirby and Connor Jenkins said the flea market was their favorite summer event and one they looked forward to every month. Tru Coffee provides Nomadic Foods with an experimental space and the opportunity to pursue the business’s most recent interests in coffee and tea.

“Now that we have the physical location of Tru Coffee, I would love to bring more of the flea market event energy into Tru Coffee through collaborations with local artists to display some of their work,” Kirby said.

Iowa City resident Grace Locke Ward is a patchwork artist who attended the August flea market for the first time.

“From what I can see, it seems like [the flea market] really branches out to everybody,” Locke Ward said. “They’ve done a really good job at that.”

Editor’s note: Sid Peterson is a former employee of The Daily Iowan.