Pecan Park Flea Market will close in September after 40 years in business

For four decades, Pecan Park Flea Market has been a weekend ritual for Jacksonville’s Northside community, a place where small businesses were built booth by booth, families spent their Sunday mornings, and shoppers traveled from across the region to browse more than 700 vendor stalls. That era is coming to an end.

The remaining 20 acres of Pecan Park Flea & Farmers Market has been sold for $8.55 million to a Butler family-linked partnership, which plans to redevelop the property as an automobile dealership. The market’s last day open to the public is September 27, 2026.

Vendors learned of the closure this weekend when they arrived to find a letter on their doors from previous ownership.

The letter confirmed the sale and outlined a timeline for the wind-down of operations. According to the letter, vendors may continue operating through September and will have until October 31, 2026, to remove all remaining property from their stalls. Any property left behind after that date becomes property of the new owners.

The entrance gate will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays throughout October, with signage notifying the public that the market is permanently closed. Access to the property will not be permitted after October 2026.

The letter also made clear that rent remains due in full through July 31st. Concessions on August and September rent will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Previous ownership closed the letter with a personal note: “Thank you all for making Pecan Park Flea & Farmers Market the special place it has been for 40 years.”

For Angela Herren, owner of Eccentric Leather, the news hit hard.

Herren has operated her booth, known for handcrafted leather belts and goods, since 2019, when she took over from the stall’s original owner.

“The original owner that was here, Ms. Patty, she was known as the Leather Lady,” Herren said. “When she passed, we took over. We bought the inventory out from the family, and I wanted to keep it open for the community here at the park. But, you know, things change.”

When she saw the letter this weekend, the reality set in quickly.

“It’s really sad news, and it was a shock to me yesterday,” she said. “It made it real when we saw that paper — and I was like, okay, so it’s real. Now what do we do?”

For Herren, Pecan Park was never just a place to sell goods.

“I’ve met vendors, customers, I’ve met people from around the globe. It is not just the flea market. We’ve had families here. This is like a second home on the weekend,” she said. “It’s hard to replace a diamond in the rough like this.”

Not every vendor is walking away without hope.

Ken LeBlanc, owner of Ken’s Collectibles, said the closure brings mixed emotions — but he is choosing to look forward.

“Part of me is sad because it’s kind of coming to an end,” LeBlanc said. “But the other half, I’m excited. The future holds a lot of promising things for me. I’m definitely worried about some of the people here. They’ve been here so long.”

The loss extends beyond the vendors. Loyal shoppers who have made Pecan Park part of their weekend routine are feeling it as well.

Linda and Tyrone Hamilton Jr., who travel from Brunswick, Georgia, to visit the market, said it has long been a cherished tradition.

“I’m going to miss it — and I know a lot of other people are going to miss it,” Linda Hamilton said. “We come from Brunswick, and this is just like a getaway. If it’s just for a day, let’s go to the flea market. Because you can always find something at the flea market.”

Pecan Park Flea & Farmers Market is located at 614 Pecan Park Road in Jacksonville. The market will continue operating on its regular weekend schedule through Sept. 27.

Vendors with questions can contact the market at 904-379-6141.

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This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.