Garden at the Flea
The Garden at the Flea is a vibrant 38,000 sq. ft. outdoor event space within the San José Flea Market just steps from the Berryessa San Jose BART station. Design and now programmed by Moveable, Garden at the Flea hosts exciting event series like the Berryessa Night Market, features a food truck market, a beer garden, and a live performance area, all with the goals of gathering and celebrating community.
Inspired by San Jose’s “Valley of the Heart’s Delight,” Garden at the Flea was designed by Moveable from based on a 2017 study by the San Jose Flea Market commissioned with the goal of enhancing the existing experience at the San José Flea Market.
A Garden Blooms at the Flea
In 2017, the San Jose Flea Market (SJFM) began exploring ways to enhance the existing experience to achieve three goals:
Increase vendor opportunities to reach a larger audience.
Address desired features for future Flea Market projects.
Provide a platform for more frequent, engaging programming.
To initiate this process, SJFM conducted a four-month research period, engaging extensively with current attendees and vendors through two key questions: “What do you love about the Flea Market?” and “What do you wish to see?”
At the end of the study, SJFM collected thousands of data points from attendees. Top wishes included night-market style events, more food options, and a beer garden experience. Attendees most valued the farmers market, live music, and family traditions.
Considering this feedback, SJFM created Garden at the Flea, a new addition inspired by San Jose’s “Valley of the Heart’s Delight” aesthetic. This space offers green areas for enjoyment, a sustainable California garden, a beer garden, a food truck park for new and existing vendors, and a live performance space for larger events.
We believe Garden at the Flea will generate excitement, helping existing traditions thrive while fostering new ones!