The twice a month Beach Flea market meant to celebrate all things Betty Boop this week turned into a battle against the elements on Sunday March 2, as powerful winds sent tents tumbling and vendors scrambling to keep their merchandise from flying away.
The outdoor market located at the TTC campus, dedicated to the iconic 1930s cartoon character, was designed to immerse attendees in a nostalgic atmosphere with themed decorations, collectibles and vintage-inspired fashion, but with wind gusts reaching up to 30 mph the focus quickly shifted from classic animation to chaos.
Vendors specializing in Betty Boop figurines, posters and clothing saw their inventory scattered, with some reporting broken items, while others struggled to keep their tents from collapsing under the relentless gusts.
Nicole Hicks, a vendor selling vintage clothing, was less concerned about promoting her merchandise than she was about the weather.
“Are we going to talk about these insane winds? It has made it really difficult for me today. I had to take down my tent and I’m constantly picking up clothes off the ground,” said Hicks.
“The Beach Flea Market” vendor Nicole Hicks on March 2 at TTC. (Jose Calix)
Some vendors attempted to reinforce their tents using extra weights, but others ultimately chose to pack up early, unable to keep their booths intact.
Vendors were even expressing concerns about customer safety such as Abby Divas, a vendor selling vintage clothing.
“It’s really stressful because you don’t want any customers to get hurt and I think staff and security should help out more in situations like this, maybe even providing weights for vendors who don’t have them,” said Divas.
While many vendors were caught off guard, others came prepared after receiving a weather advisory from organizers, such as Savannah Medina, a vendor who remembered to check her email.
“Luckily we came prepared since we did get an email the night before telling us about high winds and to make sure we had adequate weight, which was great because wind is the one thing I always forget to check,” said Medina.
Despite the chaotic conditions, Medina seemed a little bit more optimistic about the situation and noted that the wind didn’t seem to scare off too many shoppers.
“Security and staff did a great job helping us and making sure the space was safe for customers and the wind didn’t seem to deter too many people. The other vendors were super supportive as well and when our neighbor took her canopy down she let us use her extra weights which really made the difference,” said Medina.
Though the event didn’t go as planned, vendors and shoppers alike agreed it was a market to remember—just not for the Betty Boop theme.