INDIANAPOLIS — The Woodruff Place Flea Market is held annually the first weekend in June — June 1 and 2. (Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.) This annual event has been going on for 30 years and more, and unofficially ushers in the summer for eastsiders.
Woodruff Place is a historic neighborhood with glorious homes to look at. Some of the luminaries that lived in the neighborhood include Booth Tarkington and James Whitcomb Riley. The three north-south streets — East, Middle, and West — are lined with houses built in a variety of architectural styles, including Edwardian, Queen Anne, Victorian, and Eastlake-Stick.
Wear comfortable shoes, bring small bills, and be prepared for crowds. The sale encompasses 80 acres, and there’s lots of walking to do through an entire neighborhood filled with hundreds, maybe thousands, of items for sale, food vendors, music, and of course, people strolling in the shade looking for a deal. Everything from antiques to action figures to art; from file folders to furniture can be found as you browse house to house.
The Woodruff Place Flea Market isn’t just about great bargains and wheeling and dealing — it also helps to support a unique historic neighborhood’s shared assets. Proceeds go to repair and maintain the fountains, streetlights, the Town Hall, and other fixtures along the streets that give Woodruff Place its unique character. Each resident who sells items during the Flea Market is asked to donate a percentage of sales to the Civic League.
