Flea Market Extravaganza

M.A. Dworkin

Come one! Come all! To one of the Greatest Shows on island! The Hugh Pemberton Queen Mary & Paradise Flea Market is now officially open. 

Looking for clean family fun in a protected space? Looking for entertainment galore? Looking for vendors that sell everything from Girl Scout cookies to jewelry to holistic products? It’s all right at the corner of Queen Mary Highway and Paradise Road. 

This enormous complex is almost too much to believe here on St. Croix. It looks like a section that was picked out of Disneyland and dropped down in Frederiksted. The great Hugh Pemberton envisioned this white walled village and saw it through to near completion just before his recent untimely death. Now, his son Rolston has picked up the call and finished this pioneering venture off in grand style. 

There is so much to do and like about this warm and friendly place that really does not feel like a flea market in the conventional sense of the term. It seems more like an amusement park for adults and children alike, with its “Way Kool” Children’s Area that is filled with kid’s slides, a Batman’s cave and all sorts of fun activities for the youngsters. 

The All-Star Mocko Jumbies were all over the beautifully laid out grounds for the recent official opening, dancing and prancing and doing their tall-tall stuff to the delight of all. Abbie Leung-Massicote was playing the Steel Pan and he can really liven the afternoon up with his special island sound. 

The fascinating WARI game was being played under one of the tented picnic tables. It’s kind of a cross between checkers, chess and bingo, but more so chess. The game, which is a great way to learn math skills,  was brought over by the enslaved from Ghana where they used to dig holes in the ground. Nowadays, Joy Stanley is one of those artisans who makes the beautifully hand-carved boards. Tyrone and James were scratching their skulls trying to best the other. But St. Croix Times hears that it is really Auntie Mable who is the Master of the WARI game.   

The Entertainment Area has a great stage with a DJ on Saturdays and Sundays, and a very neat looking huge marble-like tiled floor for listening and dancing. There are all sorts of vendor’s booths set up along the grounds, selling everything from African clothes and wares, to handcrafted jewelry, and kid’s toys. Miss Evan’s Tenacious Toddler’s Learning Center was there for the opening and her establishment offers classes for preschoolers up to 4 years old. The Girl Scout Troop #4416 was present with Alyssa, Fawziya, and Danica selling great cookies and sweets. You can’t beat those Girl Scout cookies!     

There are brick-and-mortar spots available for rental: Local foods, Party Room, Hair Salon and a Pizza place. Armstrong from the famed Armstrong Ice Creams was on board with his Armstrong Snackette Food Truck dispensing great local foods, wings, fried shrimp, pates and drinks.    

So, Come One! Come All! To one of the Greatest Shows on Island! The Hugh Pemberton Queen Mary & Paradise Flea Market is open every Saturday & Sunday from 9am-4pm. 340-712-0764 for more info.