The Presby Pickins’ flea market has become a popular monthly outdoor event, hosted by Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church and sporting the added bonus of supporting local youth. The last chance to experience the flea market will be Saturday, April 1, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and it will return next October.

“You never know what you’re going to find,” co-chair Shawn Uphoff said. “I love flea markets.”

Right in the front parking lot, Presby Pickins’ is a means of community outreach that brings church members, vendors, local youth and more together. Each month, church organizers donate to a different youth-sponsoring organization and spotlight them at the flea market.

The Fountain Hills Crisis Response Team was present at the last market on Saturday, March 4. They fund scholarships to Reigning Grace Ranch for at-risk youth in town and shared information about their efforts with shoppers. Reigning Grace offers programs to help with PTSD, ADHD, depression and anxiety.

Supporting local youth groups was a goal ever since Uphoff and Kathy Cole came up with the idea for Presby Pickins’. They developed a friendship when Uphoff was organizing the Presbyterian Church’s Rummage Sale last spring, and they worked together to make the flea market a reality.

As a former PTO President and current program manager for the Fountain Hills Coalition, Uphoff has ties with multiple youth organizations in town. Presby Pickins’ has donated to and spotlighted both those organizations, as well as the Kiwanis K-Kids, Girl Scout Troop 6445, and the Fountain Hills High School Student Government.

“A lot of teachers and staff shop here, and I think it’s a great opportunity to bring the community together,” Uphoff said. “It seems like every time we’re out in town, we always hear about how everybody loves the flea market.”

There is a wide variety at the flea market, and there are different vendors each month. You can find jewelry, purses, books, art, etc., as well as help out local crafters by buying handmade wooden cutting boards, benches and mantels.

One regular vendor is Darling Dearie, which sells handmade clothing, and there’s plenty of other clothing vendors. The Presbyterian Church also sells donations, like household items and children’s toys, and uses those proceeds to benefit church projects.

Volunteers from the church operate concession stand which offers hot dogs, chips and water at the flea market. There are other food vendors each month. Bachelor’s Pad BBQ had a food truck at the first flea market on Oct. 1, 2022, and Melody’s Fry Bread has been selling their authentic Navajo bread for the last several months.

“We have a great cadre of volunteers; mostly church folks, but we also have help from Fountain Hills students who are able to earn community service time,” Cole said. “During the month our volunteers organize and price items which have been donated…On the day of the market, volunteers help with the setup and man the church tables.”

Kathy Cole is a Communications Elder for the church, and she is responsible for the Presby Pickins’ webpage. She created the online reservation system for vendors to book spaces and has watched it grow since inception.

According to Uphoff, there were 24 vendors at the first flea market. They’ve had more people and organizations sign up each month, and they sold out of spaces in November and December. They now use a wait list for vendors to purchase a space.

The upcoming flea market on Saturday, April 1, will be the seventh and final flea market of the season. Uphoff and Cole fully intend to continue Presby Pickins’ again next fall, and they are both proud of what the flea market became in it’s first year.

“[Presby Pickins’] has brought our congregation together for a common purpose,” Cole said. “Working together for the benefit of the church and having fun doing it. The greatest benefit is not the financial gain, but the camaraderie.”