Buckle up, because we’re heading to the Daytona Flea & Farmers Market and I am PUMPED! I never thought I’d hear myself say that but I am. I mean, sure, I usually end up wandering around aimlessly, getting lost, and buying things I don’t need while stuffing my face with anything edible, but not today my friends, not today. Today, I have a plan.
We’ve arrived and Bailey looks like she’s about to burst with excitement (insert eye roll here). Tiffany, per usual, makes a grand exit out of the G Taxi while Porter announces proudly that he’s got a $40.42 budget to spend, which I’m sure will go far in a place like this.
First we set off to appease our eager children, by hitting their favorite kiosks filled with Pokemon stuff, anime gear, and a whole bunch of other random kid things. Luckily they are somewhat into the same things, which keeps them close to each other and helps us all stay somewhat together. While they were zoned in on finding their first purchase, I wandered a few booths down and scored a sick new hat with a patch I picked out that says, Old Skool across a tape deck. Yep, that’s me!
I have been here 30 mins now and have fought the cravings long enough. Now I need to eat, and the smell of fried food wafting through the air has caught my attention. Unfortunately, I haven’t found the right spot yet. Tiffany continues to trust the map, but I trust my natural instinct. We quickly made our way to Main Street where we found a place called, “Going Nuts,” which was a pretty accurate description of how I felt right then.
But then, it hit me. Exactly what I had been longing for. The sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar was calling my name. I no longer cared if I had dessert before lunch. I needed something to counteract this hangry feeling and it’s going to be donuts! Coastal Donuts to be specific and let me tell you they are so flippin’ delicious.
Now we’re in the heart of the snack district, well that’s what Tiff calls it, and I want to talk about Steve’s Pickle Place. Seriously, everyone knows it and talks about it when they mention this flea market. They have so many flavors you’ve never heard of before and they even let you sample as many as you want while you’re in line. Be sure to set some time aside for this stop, they rented an extra space just for their line to stand in! It does move pretty fast and trust me, it is worth it!
We eventually stopped at Namtip Thai Cuisine, a new spot that we heard about from one of the vendors. Tiff, Bay and I opted for Pad Thai, Crab Rangoons, Spring Rolls and Thai Tea and Porter went rogue and got
a corn dog.
I found out the flea market has monthly events like classic car cruise-ins and estate sale scavenger hunts, who knew? And did you know they do helicopter tours for $20! Tiffany and I are coming back just for that!
There’s a shop that sells golf carts, which is pretty wild if you ask me. Not that I need one, but hey, if I ever want a golf cart with my favorite football team on it or a swan that says “Margaritaville,” I know where to go.
This place is incredible and random at the same time. You can find a beautiful wind chime, handmade soaps, a samurai sword and a fanny pack all under the same roof, and possibly within a few feet of each other, that’s amazing! You could spend all day here and not even see half of it.
Prepare yourself to be overwhelmed the moment you step in and know that it can get really hot, really fast. I recommend taking a photo of where you enter for a reference point for when you get lost later. Have fun and eat too much along the way!
Bobby G…flea ya later!
DAYTONA FLEA & FARMERS MARKET
Open Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.
1425 Tomoka Farms Road | Daytona Beach, FL 32124
(386) 253-3330
facebook.com/DaytonaFleaMarket
DaytonaFleaMarket.com
