LIC Flea & Food Market at Hunters Point recently kicked off its third season, with an amazing array of new flea and food vendors and some old Long Island City favorites returning by popular demand.

Every spring, the huge concrete outdoor lot at the corner of 5th Street and 46th Avenue is transformed into a place where magic happens. This sprawling, impersonal, industrial space becomes filled with happy, smiling people eager to shop and explore the fabulous and festive LIC Flea & Food Market.  

It’s fun for the entire family. From the DJ booth the sound of music is in the air. Dozens of tables, tents and booths are filled with delicious food, sweet treats, thirst-quenching drinks, antiques, arts and crafts, fashion, collectibles and all manner of unique gifts. On weekends throughout the spring, summer and early fall, you can expect to find around 80 different vendors at the Flea. It’s a very diverse lineup and exciting new vendors and their products are added to the Flea community on a regular basis.  

LIC Flea & Food has made a major impact on the surrounding neighborhood. A high tide does indeed lift all boats. The Flea’s popularity transcends Queens, attracting people from Brooklyn, Manhattan and even tourists from out-of-state who want to see what the fuss is all about.

When founder and president Joshua Schneps first envisioned placing a Flea & Food market in Long Island City, he probably didn't even realize just how big this venture would become. Joshua and his mother, Victoria Schneps-Yunis, publisher of the Queens Courier, are always on hand at the Flea making sure that everything is running smoothly.  

One of the newest and most popular innovations at the Flea is the Beer Garden. You can sit at a table right by the waterfront and enjoy a beer from Queens-based breweries like Rockaway, Finback and Singlecut Beersmiths. Picnic tables have been set up inside the Beer Garden area and alongside the water. Take a brief respite from your shopping while you enjoy a glass of craft beer or wine, along with the cool breeze coming in off the water, and don’t forget to snap a selfie or two. The background view is spectacular.  

The lot is a veritable sea of white, blue and red canopies. The tables underneath showcase the talents of home cooks, jewelry designers, artisans, bakers, furniture craftsmen and savvy trendsetting entrepreneurs, who know just what you want before you do. When you walk into Siggy Parker’s general store, you’ll be greeted with a friendly smile. If you are into vintage and retro stuff, then prepare to lose track of time as you browse their tables and display cases. It’s all there, from bicycles and skateboards to funky furniture, old school rock 'n' roll items and movie memorabilia.  

Do you love fine jewelry and also care deeply about our environment? Then check out the great work they’re doing at the Anna Harper jewelry booth. Anna Harper handcrafts eye-catching designers in a wide variety of recycled metals. All of the stones they use are responsibly sourced. Vendors at the Flea pride themselves in offering shoppers unique food and beverage choices. The Flea’s visitors that are always on the lookout for something new and exciting will be happy to discover a gem of a bakery like Esta-Joy’s kitchen. Esta-Joy’s Kitchen is a traditional American bakery with modern innovation and a dedicated devotion to natural ingredients and eco-friendly farms. Founded by personal chef, caterer and baker E.J. Sydell, Esta-Joy’s Kitchen is all about the joy of eating healthy and delicious food and sweet treats.

Her vendor table features E.J.’s destined to be celebrated Buckle Cake, using a recipe she learned from one of the top pastry chefs in America, Nancy Silverton. Perfect for brunch, coffee and cake "me” time or dessert, these seasonal fruit buckles come in a variety of flavors like blueberry, peach, strawberry rhubarb, blackberry, gluten-free apple, mixed berry and, very soon, chocolate chip. The buckles are available by the loaf, which feeds 6-8 people, or by the slice, which is a nicely portioned square. Esta-Joy explained that the history of the Buckle Cake goes all the way back to 1876. The Buckle is a variation of the traditional coffee cake. The Buckle’s origins are either German or from New England. Esta-Joy’s Kitchen also bakes carrot, banana, chocolate espresso, health nut flax and pumpkin bread, which is their best-seller.   
 

E.J. is very picky as to the ingredients that she puts into her loaves and buckles. A lot of her fruit comes from Prospect Hill Orchards, a green, sustainable farm upstate in Milton, N.Y. E.J. can’t say enough good things about Prospect Hill, especially their peaches. The apples that go into her gluten-free buckle are purchased at the Tribeca Farmers Market. E.J. and her breads and buckles are just a phone call away, online order or weekend trip to the LIC Flea away. Prepare to savor! The scent of baking is in the air. Call (718) 441-8429 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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Location and Hours

Hunters Point - Corner of 5th Street and 46th Ave. - Long Island City, NY 11101
Every Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM