The Lil Flea: Your Weekend Bazaar in Mumbai

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Flea markets in India are quite common and we Indians love to bargain and pick up products at dirt cheap prices. However, recently when I was researching about the flea markets in India, I found this interesting event happening in Mumbai, known as The Lil Flea. Now, while the name certainly has an adjective ‘Lil’ attached to it, but this flea market is in no ways little.

Unlike other cities in India, Mumbai has a spirit that never dies down, not even on a weekend. The residents here might grumble to you about the hectic lifestyle and the boring routine. However, they are definitely unwilling to put their feet up and sit back at home on weekends.

The work hard party harder mantra works perfectly for Mumbai lifestyle. Hence, you will find these events come up all over the city that allows you to unwind in its own ways. You need to look for many such options when you are bored at home and want to get out and experience something new.

How It All Started?

Well, if you know me by now or if you have read some of my blog posts you would have known that I am a history person. I love to dig up the past, know how it all began and culminated into what it is today.

On further research, I found that The Lil Flea market started with a realization of Alankar Jain and Priyanka Punjabi. Back then both were trying to do something different in their lives. It was this urge that drove them to create a platform for creative people without investing a lot of money. Hence, it is a perfect place for those who want to start their new business and reach newer audiences.

Today, The Lil Flea has managed to have a strong base in Mumbai. It receives a good support from the local audience. However, here’s our take on what makes this weekend festival a better place to visit.

Food and Drinks

Let me start with something that will appeal to a larger audience and that is food and drinks. Even if you are not a shopaholic or music lover you can certainly come here to try food and drinks. There are many stalls here that cater only to foodies and the quality is excellent.

The most interesting thing we liked about the food and drinks is that they have a separate section for it. So, you can skip all the other stalls and head right where you should be.

You’ll find almost every food item that you can think of here like pizzas (1Tablespoon Pizza Kitchen), tacos (TacoLab), momos (Kepchaki Momos), ice creams, fruit salads, and so much more. For drinks, you have craft beers (Independence Brewing Co.), fresh juices (It’s Juicy) and kombucha (HappyBooch Kombucha) and other items that will keep you hydrated throughout your visit. In fact, the kind of choices you get here is simply overwhelming for sure. If that’s not all, in the shopping area you will find plenty of stalls that sell healthy snack bars and food items that you can taste and buy as you prefer.

Shop Endlessly

If you are a shopaholic, be ready to splurge. The Lil Flea is a shopper’s paradise and you’ll be confused what to buy and what not to buy. Also, let me warn that none of the top brands are present here. In fact, that’s good. You’ll discover many new brands and labels that are hard to find in the malls and stores.

From handcrafted women’s wear, shoes, khadi outfits, trendy lingerie and innerwear, stylish bags and wallets, and accessories like necklaces and earrings you got it all here. Men can shop some great accessories, shirts, and so on. Apart from clothing, there are many other items to buy so the options are practically endless.

One of the amazing things we found at The Lil Flea was a thumb piano a.k.a. Zenzula that offers a great way to relax and unwind and get a start for your musical journey. They offer two varieties in it: The Regular Zenzula and the Afro Zenzula.

Music, Movies and Books

How often do you go to flea markets that have some great live music? The Lil Flea completely blew me away with some great live bands that keep up your mood. It also enhances your overall food and shopping experience no matter wherever you are doing at the event.

While we were at the event we enjoyed songs sung by Mali (Maalavika Manoj). It made our evening special and memorable. If you love some good contemporary pop music listen to her singles on SoundCloud. Visit her website here.

Apart from the music, there is a section for book lovers where you can enjoy some great books. You can also watch some of your favourite movies here at the open theatre.

The Downside

While we certainly enjoyed our first trip to The Lil Flea Mumbai. However, there are certain observations that we made which we would like to include. We enjoyed the overall vibe of the event which is very casual and relaxing. However, we felt the prices were a bit steep and that limits the shopping experience.

As a shopper, it was hard for me to shop without burning my pocket. There are so many things to buy but you need a good budget for that. Also, those who don’t like crowded places must try and visit this event as early as possible in the day.

Conclusion

If you are looking for some great weekend experience with your friends, family and colleagues this is certainly a place that you shouldn’t miss. The Lil Flea offers you a great experience where you can shop, eat, drink, enjoy music and chill out if you’re in Mumbai.

This event doesn’t take place every weekend. Hence, you need to watch out for the dates and buy tickets online. You can also buy the tickets from the counter at the venue.

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