The Lil’ Flea may have started small, but in the three years since its inception, it’s become big. But this is not just about making it bigger, and grander, it’s a lot more than that. We visited the last edition and we plan to go this time around too. If you look at the kind of crowd that comes here, you’d say it’s too young, yippee. But then again, it’s an experience that draws you in with its warmth and vibe. We took our parents and they loved it too. There are the artists, the enthusiastic stall owners, the happy customers, the excited girls, the semi-interested boys, the beer guzzling sloths, the grass-grazing-music-listening-souls, the we-should-have-a-stall-next-year-couple, the selfie-brigade (this one’s in every corner) and some lost souls as well. There still is a large community that says, “It wasn’t great…most of the things were overpriced…I’ve seen these designs on the net…what’s so great about postcards?…not a great collection". But then again, that’s not what The Lil’ Flea is about.

So, what is The Lil’ Flea about, and why would we go again and again?

In the truest sense, this is the closest we’ve come to having a ‘Flea Market Festival’. When you travel to the South-East, it is brimming with flea markets. Thailand alone has a sea of them. Be it the Rod Frai, Pratunam,Chatuchak or even the smallest night markets that come alive on a random street in the evening. You never see yourself complaining about the nitty-gritties there. You love the experience of it. You talk about it. Blog about it. And plan to revisit it next time you’re there. Well, The Lil’ Flea is our version of it. And it’s beautiful. And even if you don’t fall in any of the categories, which means, you don’t have a stall, neither are you an avid shopper, this still remains of the best experiences you can have in the city. This is my opinion, is Kala Ghoda done right. Kala Ghoda had its day, but now it’s become a DSLR Friendly Zone, and that’s about all. The Lil’ Flea has all the right ingredients to make itself a heady cocktail you can’t get enough of. Last time around, people cribbed and complained about the entry fee of ₹250 being expensive. We’d say, it’s much cheaper than what you’d spend your weekends in – a mall, or at the movies or a pub. And it’s a far more enriching experience for the price. What’s not to love? There’s quirk and design flowing through every aisle. Everywhere you look, there’s a story being written. An artist’s hard work, a noble venture, a funky project turned business, a home cook becoming a restaurateur. This is the only platform that lets you display your passion project and gives you the confidence to turn it into a business. Three of my friends have already had stalls here, two of them have quit their day jobs and have made their dream project, a flourishing business. The Lil’ Flea may be small, but it continues to be big at heart.