Dogged determination marks flea market opening

They were bugged by the weather, but the persistent rainfall—or threat of rainfall—was not enough to dampen the spirits of the members of the Kiwanis Club of Newington, Connecticut. No fair-weather fundraiser, the Kiwanis Open-Air Market opened for business on April 17 and stayed open to the end of June.

Poor weather plagued the first five weeks of the flea market operation, hurting attendance by both buyers and sellers.

“We’re being hurt not so much by the weather, but by the weather forecast,” club president Dan Henry told The (Newington) Herald. “Some of the vendors have merchandise that if it rained could be damaged, and let’s face it, no one wants to be out in the rain.”

Still, Dan adds the market’s move downtown from its previous location was a boon. “The good news is, we’ve made some money above our expenses,” he says.

Founded in 1992, the market is operated by volunteers from the Kiwanis club and the Newington High School Key Club. The annual market, according to Kiwanian Alexander Cohen, has raised thousands of dollars for a number of civic and humanitarian causes.