The Rose Bowl Flea Market: L.A.’s Grand Bazaar of Treasure, Nostalgia & Pure California Magic

It’s early. The sun is barely cresting over Pasadena’s mountains, and the iconic silhouette of the Rose Bowl Stadium glows gold in the morning haze. A line of eager shoppers coffee in one hand, reusable tote in the other shuffles forward, buzzing about antique rugs, rare denim, and desert plants. There’s a special kind of electricity in the air, the kind that only exists when you know you’re about to stumble upon something extraordinary.

This is the Rose Bowl Flea Market part cultural institution, part treasure hunt, part Sunday ritual and its story is as legendary as the finds inside.

To understand how this grand spectacle began, you have to rewind to 1957, when entrepreneurs RG Canning and Bill Tunnell were known not for flea markets, but for engines and elbow grease. As leaders of the Tridents Car Club, they spent their days organizing concerts and car shows across Southern California. Their world was chrome, gasoline, and rock ‘n’ roll.

Then one day mid-scouting trip, mid-conversation—m they spotted the Rose Bowl Stadium gleaming in the distance.

“What if…” Canning wondered, “we held an antique show there?”

It was a spark of inspiration at exactly the right moment.

At the same time, the City of Pasadena had a gorgeous, historic stadium that aside from the iconic Rose Bowl Game sat largely unused. They needed fresh ideas. Canning and Tunnell had them.

After nearly a year of negotiations, both sides finally said yes.

And just like that, Southern California’s most beloved flea market was born.

Opening Day: November 10, 1968

Picture it: a crisp fall morning. A modest 200 vendors. A concourse so large the founders parked antique cars between booths just to fill the space. They expected a slow start.

Instead, more than 12,000 shoppers showed up.

Twelve. Thousand.

Pasadena had discovered something special that day not just a market, but an experience.

Interestingly, the event was originally called the Rose Bowl Swap Meet and Flea Market because back in 1968, “flea market” wasn’t a widely recognized term. But it wouldn’t stay a swap meet for long.

As the years passed, something evolved. What started as a community trade event gradually transformed into a curated world of antiques, art, collectibles, vintage fashion, crafts, and one-of-a-kind pieces. Shoppers came not just to buy but to explore each booth telling a story.

Eventually, the “swap meet” wording faded away. The Rose Bowl Flea Market became synonymous with discovery, nostalgia, and creative spirit.

Quick Guide:

• Flea Market: Curated vendors, antiques, art, fashion, unique finds from seasoned collectors and craftspeople.

• Swap Meet: Grassroots trading, local sellers, secondhand goods, a more informal community vibe.

The Rose Bowl Flea Market embraced the former, elevating it to an art form.

The “Flea Market of the Stars”

The market didn’t just attract Angelenos it captured the hearts of Hollywood.

Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie yes, they’ve all roamed its aisles. Designer Christian Louboutin reportedly plans his L.A. trips around the market for design inspiration.

But perhaps the most iconic star sighting of all time? Lucille Ball.

A true regular, she would arrive early, park directly in front of the stadium, step out cigarette in hand and glide through the market as if it were her own backstage set. Hollywood royalty among the rummaged treasures.

And in 1983, someone snagged the Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Show sign that once hung on Desilu Studios for just $60. Today, it’s valued at $1,590 a legendary piece of television history.

With major studios just miles away, it’s no surprise that the Rose Bowl Flea Market became a favorite haunt for set decorators and prop stylists. Need a 1930s typewriter? A Moroccan lamp? A sculpture from the ’70s? Chances are, it’s here.

The market has appeared on HGTV and been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, People Magazine, Architectural Digest, and Forbes cementing its reputation as a global design destination.

Fast-forward to today.

Every second Sunday rain or shine more than 20,000 people flood the stadium grounds to explore over 2,500 vendor booths. It’s a sprawling, joyful chaos that spans the concourse and two full parking lots.

Early Admission: 5 AM

For serious collectors, designers, and resellers who hunt for rare gems before anyone else.

General Admission: 9 AM

Families, friends, creatives, tourists, and locals meandering in at a relaxed pace.

Pro Tip:

Arrive early for the best finds. Stay late for the best deals. Vendors often slash prices toward closing time.

And whatever you do, wear comfortable shoes and bring water. This isn’t a quick stroll this is a full-day adventure.

What You’ll Find: Pure Treasure

Part of the magic is its mix of old and new, curated and quirky.

• Vintage clothing including bins where streetwear sells for $10 a pound.

• Rugs woven around the world.

• Original artwork from local and international artists.

• Handcrafted jewelry and ceramics.

• Housewares, plants, books, and authenticated designer goods (yes, guaranteed they take authenticity seriously).

Many vendors are family legacies. Like The Vintage Eyewear Guy, who now runs his booth with his daughter, passing down knowledge frame by frame.

Or the two brothers who’ve sold at the market for more than 30 years, starting back in high school with their father. They still sell gramophones and own the original gramophone the Grammy Award was modeled after.

And then there are the stories because everyone has one. A shopper remembers her mom buying their first puppy from a trunk in the ’90s (pets have never been allowed, but hey, it was the ’90s). Another recalls buying a table and chairs when she and her husband got married. Thirty-six years later, the table still sits in their home, holding decades of memories.

For more than 50 years, the Rose Bowl Flea Market never missed a single month not one. Its uninterrupted run stretched from 1968 straight through to March 2020, when the pandemic forced its first-ever closure.

It reopened triumphantly in April 2021, one of the first major outdoor events to return. Thousands came back not just to shop, but to reconnect.

It's only other closure? January 2025, when the L.A. fires brought the city to a brief standstill.

Yet through it all, the market endures. Resilient. Vibrant. Unapologetically creative.

A Living Legacy

More than a flea market, the Rose Bowl is a monthly celebration of craftsmanship, community, culture, and California spirit. It’s a place where history meets imagination, where treasures find new homes, and where every aisle holds a surprise.

Whether you’re searching for a perfectly broken-in leather jacket, an heirloom rug, a sculptural lamp, or just a delicious snack and a great story you’ll find it here, under the sunlit arches of the Rose Bowl Stadium.

And that’s the magic.

The Rose Bowl Flea Market isn’t just an event.

It’s Los Angeles vintage, vibrant, and full of possibility.