Flea market at St. Nick’s Bazaar seems especially large this summer

From curtains and drapes to pots and pans — and don’t forget the Pope Francis “Bobblehead” statuette — you could probably furnish an entire household with one visit to the “giant indoor flea market” that will be part of St. Nicholas Church summer bazaar July 14-16.

“We have dishes, pots and pans, food processors,” flea market chair Phyllis Wujcik said, leading the way past tables, filled with all sorts of items, in the cafeteria of St. Nicholas-St. Mary School.

“We have curtains, drapes, and lamps,” said co-chair Mary Pat Brunner, pointing to another area. “We have chairs and tables.”

“Anybody interested in a 90-inch quilting frame?” one of the women asked as she sidestepped one of the physically largest donations in the room.

Other years, Wujcik and her crew of volunteers remember, the flea market was jam-packed with potential bargains. This year the number of items seems to have grown exponentially, because the parish didn’t have a bazaar, or a flea market, for two years during the pandemic — and potential donationstended to pile up in people’s closets.

“It’s three years’ worth of stuff,” volunteer Suzanne Mulvey said.

While the flea market doesn’t handle clothing or shoes, it offers plenty of purses, and toys, and figurines. There are bedspreads and quilts, pillows and paintings, picture frames and photo albums, even an ironing board.

“Things have been coming in very clean,” Brunner said.

“Most of the items are in very good condition,” Wujcik said, noting that every electric and electronic item has been checked to make sure it’s working. “If it doesn’t work, we don’t use it.”

The crew has been sorting items for the past five weeks, so when you enter the flea market venue in the school basement, your eye might be drawn to the section of, say, Christmas decor or Halloween decor, or books.

“I’m putting the popular books at the top,” volunteer Marge Koval said, explaining she wanted them to be on a shelf where shoppers could reach them easily.

There will be a section with religious items, Wujcik said, pointing toward a table that seemed to hold quite a few Infant of Prague statues. And there will be a collectibles section that includes Precious Moments, Hummel and Byers’ Choice figurines.

And, as you walk up and down the aisles between the tables, you never know what sort of treasure may catch your fancy. A pair of plush tigers dressed like a bride and groom? A child’s colorful xylophone toy? A rocking chair? A set of kitchen knives in a wooden block?

There’s even a section of never-used items, still in their original wrapping, that previous owners may have wanted to re-gift.

And, on a recent afternoon, donations continued to arrive.

“I know most people don’t want suitcases like this anymore,” Christopher Chokola said as he carried vintage luggage into the room. “They want them on wheels. But maybe somebody would want these for a play.”

The flea market is only one part of the St. Nicholas Bazaar, which will offer games for all ages, bountiful baskets, live entertainment, a 50-50 raffle and a variety of food including bratwurst, haluski, pierogies, potato pancakes, piggies, pizza, Mexican/Caribbean treats and Vietnamese egg rolls.

Hours for the bazaar are 6 to 11 p.m. July 14 and July 15. On Saturday, July 16 festivities begin after the 5 p.m. Mass and continue until 11 p.m.

The flea market has slightly different hours, 1 to 10 p.m. July 14 and 3 to 10 p.m. July 15 and 16.

Parking during the bazaar will be available in the lots on either side of Holy Redeemer High School on South Pennsylvania Boulevard, in the St. Nicholas parking lot across from the convent on South Washington Street, and in the Genetti Hotel parking lot on South Pennsylvania Boulevard.

Co-chairs of the annual event are Bob Hines, Chris Kohl and Eileen Kohl.