Monday, December 26, 2011

Neatest (flea) market ever!

That would be Renniger's in Kutztown, PA. 

We found it by accident one day when we were on vacation and just cruising the back roads for flea markets, etc.  Then we found out that it is a very well-known place for their twice-a-year antique fairs.  But they also have a weekly open-air weekend flea market, year-round, weather permitting. 

We've never been to the flea market outside, when it's in full swing,  as it falls the same day as the big reptile swap we go to in Hamburg, but the indoor booths are almost as much fun.  There is one unique vendor who has a permanent spot under the outdoor pavillion.  He stocks "parts" so if you have a lamp that's missing a shade, or a finnial, or you have a jar with no lid, or you needed that extra door handle to match up with the three you already own, chances are, he has one in stock.


Everything is organized by type (handles, lamp parts, lids) and color.  And he has more than what's on the tables, of which there are a few as you can see.  But there's so much more to Renniger's. They have a huge, long barn that houses a good number of flea market/antique booths, a Pez dispenser swap, and an amazing deli and fresh produce market.
 (Dennis in the doorway of the barn.)
The Amish, or Quakers, and others, have great displays of fruits and vegetables they've grown on their farms, and there are baked goods, and butcher shop-type displays where you can buy fresh cuts of meat, sausages, etc, etc, or you can have a meal at one of the indoor restaurants.   They're not restaurants with walls, just a few chairs set up near a counter where people are cooking. 

 (Produce down one of the aisles.)
You may wonder about what the health department thinks of all this, but I can tell you, the place is popular beyond belief.  And the smells will make your mouth water as soon as you set foot inside.
 (One of the many meat vendors.)
There's another Rennigers in Pottstown, PA which is about 30-40 miles north of Kutztown, and also the home of Yuengling Beer, but we like the atmosphere at Kutztown a little more.

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