Mapping LA’s Weekend Garage Sale and Flea Circuit

If you’re trying to cover the most ground in a single weekend, start with how Angelenos actually shop it: early for the dealers, midday for the browsers, late for the hagglers. The backbone of the circuit runs east to west on Sundays, bookended by monthly behemoths and weekly regulars that never really left the calendar, even as the city’s vintage tastes shifted from mid‑century teak to graphic tees and band posters.

Second‑Sunday anchor: Rose Bowl, then the eastside garage clusters

The classic play starts in Pasadena on the second Sunday. The Rose Bowl Flea Market opens its gates to VIP entry at 5 a.m. and general admission at 9 a.m., and it happens the second Sunday every month, rain or shine. Tickets are sold online only and the address is 1001 Rose Bowl Dr, Pasadena, CA 91103. The reliable rhythm here matters if you’re mapping weekends: you can set your calendar by it and avoid the “did it move this month?” shuffle that smaller swaps sometimes pull.

When the stadium lot empties, the day isn’t over. A mile and a half south along Colorado Boulevard, the Pasadena City College Flea Market runs the first Sunday of each month from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. with free admission. PCC’s record swap is famous with collectors, and the campus lists its location as 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106. PCC and the Rose Bowl do not share a Sunday, which is the trick to doing both in one month without driving back and forth across the Arroyo for nothing.

For true “garage sale” purists building a map around neighborhood driveways, the eastside still turns up Saturday pin flags in Eagle Rock and Highland Park with decent density. You won’t get posted hours from a homeowner, but you will get price signals: yard sales in Eagle Rock regularly start under $5 per clothing item and drop further by early afternoon; sellers who put “everything must go” in their hand‑lettered signs tend to accept bundle deals after 12 p.m. That habit has been around since the first post‑war ranch house on the hill cleared out a garage.

Beach‑day circuit: Long Beach Veterans Stadium and the South Bay standbys

If your map bends south toward the water, the Long Beach Antique Market at Veterans Stadium is a fixed point. It’s the third Sunday monthly, with $15 early admission from 5:30–6:30 a.m. and $10 general admission from 6:30 a.m.–2 p.m.. Parking is free. The market sits on the Long Beach City College Veterans Stadium footprint and sprawls wide enough that half the morning can vanish in the furniture aisles before you even hit the vinyl crates.

Weekdays and Saturdays in the South Bay belong to the old‑school swap formats that have quietly stayed daily. The Roadium Open Air Market lists shopper hours as 7 a.m.–3 p.m. every day except Christmas and New Year’s. Weekend shopper admission is a $5 per‑vehicle flat rate if you park on site, with a free shuttle option from El Camino College parking. The Roadium’s model, charging by the car, favors friends piling in and splits the fee across the trunk space you’re about to fill.

Ten miles northeast, Paramount Swap Meet runs every day, a rarity in LA County’s garage sale ecosystem. Shopper admission posted by day is $2 Saturday and $3 Sunday, with weekdays $1–$1.50. Hours are straightforward: 6 a.m.–3 p.m. on weekends and 6 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekdays for shoppers. The field is at 7900 All America City Way, Paramount, CA 90723, and vendor reservation hours mirror the early start time, which explains why the first aisles often have real garage‑sale pricing even when a seller’s canopy says “swap meet.”

Sunday regulars inside the city: Melrose, Los Feliz, and Silverlake

Inside the city limits, Sundays center on Fairfax High’s campus. Melrose Trading Post runs every Sunday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (summer hours 10 a.m.–6 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day). Standard admission is posted at $6 cash at the entrance, or $6 plus a $2.25 online fee for a scannable pre‑paid ticket. Children under 12 are free, and the market extends free entry every Sunday to active military, police, firefighters, Fairfax High students, and MTP VIP pass holders. In 2026, it also added free entry every second Sunday for IATSE, SAG‑AFTRA, and Actors’ Equity members with union ID. The main entrance is 7850 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046, and there is a posted complimentary valet entrance via 544 N. Fairfax Ave at Clinton Street when capacity allows.

A few miles east, the Los Feliz Flea has been in motion the last couple of years and is now staging Saturdays on the rooftop at Vintage Land, posted as 10 a.m.–4 p.m. with free admission and free garage parking at 1030 Alpine St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The organizers have been on the scene since the early 1990s, so when they say “Saturday only for now,” plan your loop accordingly and treat it as a pre‑game to a Sunday Melrose run rather than a same‑day combo.

Silverlake Flea recently settled into Atwater Village, operating every Saturday and Sunday with posted hours of 8–3 or 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, and it advertises free entrance and free parking. It’s a smaller footprint than a stadium market and reads more like a string of super‑curated yard sales, which is why you’ll still see hand‑priced items under $20 alongside racks tagged like a boutique.

First and fourth Sundays: Santa Monica Airport vs. Topanga at Pierce College

If your map points west, Santa Monica’s tarmac market is the most predictable way to get a coastal morning without the pier crowds. The Santa Monica Airport Antique & Vintage Market lists 1st and 4th Sunday dates, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. hours, $5 admission, free on‑site parking, children free, and leashed pets welcome. The leashed pets line is not universal across LA markets, so it is a meaningful differentiator if your circuit includes a dog in tow.

Up the 101, Topanga Vintage Market sets up at Pierce College on the 4th Sunday of each month, posting 7 a.m.–2 p.m. hours, $5 entry, kids 12 and under free, and free parking. Veterans are listed as “forever free.” It is one of the last remaining true “Sunday‑only” plays in the Valley where early birds still get rewarded. The entrance is at Victory Boulevard and Mason Avenue in Woodland Hills, which matters because the campus itself has multiple lots and the vendors cluster at the Mason gate first.

Signs, permits, and the realities of selling from your own driveway

Shopping the circuit is one side of the coin. If you’re hosting a sale in the City of Los Angeles, read the sign rules before you start zip‑tying arrows to utility poles. The city’s municipal code assigns responsibility for yard and garage sale hand‑bills and signs to the property’s owner or lessee, and the city can recover its removal costs if those signs end up on prohibited public places. The short version: keep signs on your property and pull them down when you’re done.

In unincorporated Los Angeles County, the yard sale standards are explicit: you may place up to two temporary signs, each up to four square feet, within the front or side yard of the sale property, and you may not place yard sale signs in the public right‑of‑way. Those signs may be displayed only the day before and the day of the sale and must be removed immediately after the sale ends. That rule is enforced at the county level, so it applies to neighborhoods outside city limits under county zoning.

Local cities vary. Santa Monica’s municipal code limits yard sales to two per calendar year per dwelling unit, for a maximum of two days each, which helps neighbors know when a “permanent” sale has drifted into code‑enforcement territory. Burbank requires a garage sale permit via its online portal for ordinary weekends, but also publishes a designated Second Chance Garage Sale Weekend where one extra sale may be held without a permit. In 2026, that weekend is posted as October 10 and 11, 2026. If you’re mapping a host route rather than a buyer route, those dates and limits will keep you on the friendly side of your block.

What changed and what stayed the same

Some parts of this circuit feel identical to the 1990s. Stadium lots still post early‑bird hours, the biggest markets keep a once‑a‑month cadence to let vendors restock, and the smartest shoppers walk in with small bills and a tape measure. Other parts have shifted. The Melrose Trading Post puts its admission fees and discount categories front‑and‑center and continues to fund Fairfax High arts programs through its tickets. Santa Monica Airport’s market made pets‑on‑leash a stated policy, which tells you who their Sunday regulars are. Los Feliz Flea’s rooftop setting has turned a flea into a city overlook with free admission, which doubles as a parking‑hack for anyone running downtown errands after.

The policy landscape matters more than it used to because social posts travel farther than a yard sign. Unincorporated county areas now spell out that your yard sale signs are limited to two, they must be on your property, and they can only be up the day before and the day of your sale. Santa Monica caps you at two sales per year per address, two days each. Burbank runs garage sale permits through an online portal and publishes a one‑weekend‑only bonus where no permit is needed. Those posted rules are the reason a neighbor’s front‑lawn sale stops looking like a permanent shop.

If you’re mapping by value rather than mileage, look closely at how each market charges. A $5 per‑vehicle weekend at the Roadium looks cheaper than a $6 per‑person Sunday at Fairfax if you’re coming solo on a scooter. A family of four flips that math. Early admission at Long Beach is $15 rather than $10, which makes sense if you’re chasing a specific dresser that always sells first. If you’re filling a bag of $1 accessories, you can arrive later and spend the difference in cash at the stall.

Key things to know

• Build your month around the anchors: Rose Bowl on the 2nd Sunday, Long Beach Veterans Stadium on the 3rd Sunday, Santa Monica Airport on the 1st and 4th Sundays, and Topanga at Pierce College on the 4th Sunday.
• Price signals vary by format. Stadium fleas publish admissions. Yard and garage sales drop prices by early afternoon, especially on clothing and housewares under $20.
• Inside the city, Melrose Trading Post is $6 cash on Sundays with posted free entry for certain groups; Los Feliz Flea is free on Saturdays and includes free garage parking at 1030 Alpine St.
• South Bay standbys are about frequency. Roadium is daily with $5 per‑vehicle weekend entry on site and a free shuttle option; Paramount Swap Meet runs daily and posts $2 Saturday and $3 Sunday shopper admission.
• Hosting a sale? Unincorporated LA County allows two on‑property signs up to 4 sq ft each, not in the public right‑of‑way, only the day before and the day of your sale. Santa Monica limits yard sales to two per year per home, two days each. Burbank requires a permit except during its posted “Second Chance” weekend.
• Bring small bills. Many markets specifically note that a lot of vendors are cash‑only, even when ATMs are available on site.

Reader Q&A

Is the Rose Bowl Flea Market always on the second Sunday, and how early can I get in?

Yes, it’s posted for the second Sunday every month, rain or shine. VIP entry starts at 5 a.m., general admission at 9 a.m., and tickets are sold online only. If you want first pick on big items, plan for that 5 a.m. window and a headlamp.

Which westside market is easier with kids and a dog?

Santa Monica Airport Antique & Vintage Market lists $5 admission, free parking, children free, and leashed pets welcome. That combination, plus the 7 a.m.–3 p.m. window, makes it straightforward for families. Other markets vary on pet rules and do not always allow dogs on site.

How do Melrose Trading Post’s admission and discounts work?

It’s $6 cash at the entrance or $6 + $2.25 for an online ticket. Children under 12 are free, and every Sunday is free for active military, police, firefighters, Fairfax High students, and MTP VIPs. The market also posts free entry for SAG‑AFTRA, IATSE, and Actors’ Equity members on the second Sunday with union ID.

Do I need a permit to host a garage sale in my yard?

It depends on where you live. Burbank requires permits for ordinary weekends but publishes a Second Chance Garage Sale Weekend where one extra sale is allowed without a permit. Santa Monica limits you to two yard sales per year per address, two days each. Unincorporated LA County allows yard sales under posted standards and restricts where you can place signs.

The simplest way to narrow your loop is to pick one anchor per weekend and add a smaller stop nearby. Pair Rose Bowl with a late lunch on Colorado or build a Saturday rooftop Los Feliz visit into errands downtown. If you’re hunting furniture, start at the stadiums; for clothing and smalls under $20, the neighborhood‑scale fleas behave most like the garage sales we all came up on.

Published: September 8, 2026