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It’s back!
- Updated: September 10, 2020
77 Flea Market reopened for business
By TONY VINDELL
LFN
BROWNSVILLE – Anyone can now go to browse, shop, grab something to eat and even exercise at the 77 Flea Market in Brownsville.
The popular outdoors market, which was forced to close back in April following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, has now reopened for business.
The weekends-only market, known in Spanish as La Pulga, saw its first vendors and shoppers on Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30.
About 25 percent of its usual crowd showed up and everybody had to follow certain health guidelines.
Every person was required to wear a face mask, to keep a social distance and a few changes were made for the sake of everybody.
The five-month closure was the first the market’s owners have had in its 39-year history.
Basilio Gomez, whose family owns and runs the flea market, said attendance was slow on the first day but it picked up on the next one.
“We have never closed this place for one weekend, let alone for several months altogether,” he said. “But we are now open for business.”
He said no freak weather, like a hurricane, a freeze or inclement weather has ever forced them to close.
Gomez said employees with the city’s health department were checking to make sure people followed the regulations in order to prevent the virus’ spread.
He said all three entrances on the north and south side were opened, but shoppers were not allowed to drive their vehicles in to pick larger items.
The flea market, which is on the north side of Brownsville, is one of the oldest and largest in the Rio Grande Valley. It’s one of the few places where people can find a bargain here and there as well as eat from nearly a dozen Mexican food and pizza stands.
Some vendors said a combination of several factors resulted in a slower
reopening. They said the return to school, end of vacations and the pandemic contributed to that. Others said some people might have not known that La Pulga was up and running again.
