Searching for a pair of vintage jeans, a business opportunity, or a place to just express yourself can all be difficult, but in a parking lot behind your local cafe, you might just find these hidden gems. At 1601 21st Street on every third Sunday of the month, residents of Bakersfield and other nearby cities come together to host the Kern County Vintage Flea. 

Ashley Bobadilla, a 25-year-old vintage curator and owner of the Kern County Vintage Flea, began selling vintage clothing in the 2021 at the Sidewalk Sale. The Sidewalk Sale is a small market hosted by a local thrift and consignment store, Bakersfield Vintage. It was at this event that she realized her passion for being a vendor, and became a market organizer. 

“I started helping Bakersfield Vintage in 2022 organize events because I just felt like it could have been better,” said Bobadilla. “I’m pretty good friends with the owner of Bakersfield Vintage, so I kind of just talked him into letting me organize it.” 

Bobadilla and about 20 other vendors hosted an indoor market called Fresh Flea, located in a room above Dagny’s Coffee Company. But as Bobadilla started posting Instagram Reels about the market, their event grew and space became limited. 

In 2023, the vendors decided to expand the market by bringing it to the building’s next-door parking lot and rebranding it as the Kern County Vintage Flea. 

The Kern County Vintage Flea, which has amassed over 19,000 followers on Instagram, has hosted up to about 70 vendors. It currently charges $40 for a space to sell vintage, handmade, and custom items or brands, and $50 for food vendors. Bobadilla says that the market is an important tool to help small businesses get more exposure. 

“All these businesses that I post, I’m watching them grow and it’s so cool,” said Bobadilla. “Every single time they either have more products, or have a different setup, or they’re just being creative with their business.”

Emylei Gonzales is the 23-year-old owner of RUGCANDI, a business where she makes and sells rugs. Gonzales says she not only recognizes people she went to high school with shopping at the market, but also showcasing their own products. 

Gonzales has been selling her work with Bakersfield Vintage alongside Eros De Paz, 24-year-old owner of the streetwear brand Lost Funds, since 2018. The two vendors say they have never held a pop-up shop alone, and have participated in the market throughout its transitions. 

“A lot of us have the same type of drive to actually come out here and wake up at 6 o’clock a.m., spend weeks prior to the event setting up, curating whatever they curate or making whatever items they make,” said De Paz. “That’s really inspiring: just seeing, knowing all the work that goes in before the actual pop-up.” 

De Paz says the Kern County Vintage Flea is different from other markets in town because it seems more family-oriented and serves as a safe space for young adults to share their interests in fashion. 

Andrea Anaya, a 17-year-old clothing vendor from Fresno County, discovered Bobadilla’s Instagram account @fleamarketshawty and became inspired to apply for a spot at the Kern County Vintage Flea.She drove an hour and a half away to Bakersfield with her family and entire inventory in January 2024 to participate in the event. 

While Anaya has been a part of other markets like the Fresno Art Hop, she described the Kern County Vintage Flea as an “eye-opener.” 

“Everyone was really welcoming, especially for me being from out of town, and especially the people just shopping there,” said Anaya. “It’s crazy because I had people come into my shop non-stop. That had never happened to me before.” 

The market also introduces its customers to different cultures. Gisele Orig, 20, from Bakersfield, said that she tries to attend the Kern County Vintage Flea every month to find custom-made jewelry and clothing. But what excites her most about the market is finding items that reflect different styles, such as Chicana or goth.

“Not only is it heavily personal between the buyer and the seller, but it keeps up with the trends,” said Orig. “In other places like swap meets it’ll be similar, but I feel like there’s not as up-to-date stuff. There’s still cool stuff, but here it’s definitely more oriented towards the youth and alternative kids.” 

As of March 2024, the Kern County Vintage Flea will host two markets each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For Bobadilla, this not only means growing the number of vendors, but stronger bonds within her community. 

“I think it’s like something bigger than we even know or understand right now, and I just think it’s really cool to watch because I’m standing right in the middle of it,” said Bobadilla.