It’s early, but the Bowl is buzzing.
The first Rose Bowl Flea Market shoppers (hunters?) have already arrived.
By 6 a.m., the parking lots surrounding the stadium had transformed into a vast, open-air marketplace: rows upon rows of folding tables, tents, and flatbed dollies bearing everything from Bakelite bangles to Bakelite radios.
There is no map. There is no script. And that is precisely the appeal.
Held monthly since 1968, the Rose Bowl Flea Market has become one of the largest and most enduring public markets of its kind in the country, attracting collectors, decorators, stylists, and the simply curious.
On the second Sunday of each month, more than 2,500 vendors take over the grounds of the historic stadium, offering an ever-shifting mosaic of objects — old, odd, ornate — to tens of thousands of visitors in search of something they didn’t know they needed.
“The best advice,” one longtime vendor called out to a passing couple on Sunday, “is don’t think too long. If you love it, grab it.”
By late morning, the scent of food from the concession stands — like burritos, teriyaki bowls, and cold brew — will mingle with the smell of sun-warmed denim and polished wood. Some shoppers will no doubt briefly bivouac in shaded areas, arms draped with vintage jackets, framed art, or metal signs stamped with slogans like “Ice Cold Coca-Cola.” Others will crouch beside tables to inspect crates of vinyl records or dig through boxes of turn-of-the-century photographs.
While the market is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., veteran attendees pay extra to enter during the early-bird window beginning at 5 a.m. For those in the resale business, arriving before the bulk of the crowd can mean the difference between finding an overlooked gem or returning home empty-handed.
The event is not only a cultural phenomenon — it’s an economic one. Vendors come from across Southern California and beyond, paying for booth space and sometimes traveling overnight to set up. Local hotels, restaurants, and parking vendors also benefit, as thousands pour into Pasadena each month. And for the City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company, the flea market remains one of the stadium’s most consistent sources of non-sports revenue.
Still, most visitors aren’t calculating the economic impact. They are there for the stories — the patina, the possibility.
A French enamel sign marked $325 might prompt a tale from a vendor about a Paris flea market; a rack of faded collegiate sweatshirts might evoke memories of high school track meets or late-night study sessions.
The appeal is not in the guarantee of a good find, but in the chase itself.
Today’s edition of the market, which closes at 3 p.m., features the usual categories: antique furniture, vintage apparel, collectibles, handmade jewelry, folk art, and newer items toward the eastern end of the grounds. Many vendors accept credit cards, though cash is often preferred. Admission ranged from $12 to $20 depending on arrival time, and children under 12 entered free.
The next market is scheduled for Sunday, July 13. The Rose Bowl Flea Market once again reminds us that the past — polished, weathered, or worn — still has value.
And sometimes, it comes with free parking.
