CHASM
Capitol Hill Autonomous Swap Meet
Forty-plus sellers fill an abandoned Capitol Hill supermarket with vintage clothes, handmade everything and objects that have no business existing. Food, a bar, music and a whole lot of digging. Entry is by donation.
Next one: Saturday, October 17 · 12–6 PM · 416 15th Ave E
When
Third Saturday, monthly
Hours
12 noon – 6 PM
Entry
By donation
Where
416 15th Ave E, Capitol Hill
It's a flea market with the volume turned up
The Quality Flea Center is a former grocery store a few blocks south of Volunteer Park. Once a month the whole floor turns into a swap meet run by the people who live here: vintage dealers, makers, collectors and folks cleaning out a very interesting closet.
It's cheap, it's loud, it's indoors, and it's the fastest way to understand Capitol Hill if you only have one afternoon in the neighborhood. Come hungry, bring cash, leave with something you can't explain.
What you'll find
Vintage that actually got worn
Racks of 70s workwear, band tees, boots, leather and the kind of jackets you only find on somebody's grandfather. Sellers are neighbors, not resellers with a spreadsheet.
Handmade and one-off
Zines, jewelry, ceramics, patches, prints, perfume, tarot decks, tiny paintings. Most makers are behind their own table, so ask them how it was made.
Weird collectibles
Records, cassettes, action figures, taxidermy, oddball housewares, curling irons from 1983. Nobody can predict what shows up, which is the whole point.
Snacks, drinks and a soundtrack
Food and beverages inside, plus DJs and live sets echoing off the old grocery-store ceilings while you dig.
416 15th Ave E
Right on the 15th Ave E strip on Capitol Hill, a few blocks south of Volunteer Park and surrounded by bars, coffee and a very good grocery run. The 10 and 12 buses stop within a block, there's a paid lot at the door for $15 a day, and street parking on the side streets if you're patient.
Make an afternoon of it: CHASM, lunch on the block, then the park.
Before you come
- How much does it cost to get in?
- Entry is by donation. Bring cash for the door if you can, but nobody is turned away.
- Is it indoors?
- Completely. CHASM runs inside a 15,000 square foot former grocery store, so Seattle weather is somebody else's problem.
- Can I bring kids or a dog?
- Kids are very welcome. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are fine too — it gets crowded, so use your judgment.
- Cash or card?
- Most vendors take cards or phone payments, but cash moves faster and makes haggling easier. Bring some.
- Where do I park?
- There is a paid lot right outside at $15 for the day, plus street parking on the surrounding blocks. The 10 and 12 buses stop within a block.
- How long should I plan for?
- An hour gets you through it. Two or three is more realistic once you start talking to people, eat something and circle back for the thing you should have bought the first time.
See you on the third Saturday
Next CHASM is Saturday, October 17, noon to 6 PM. Bring cash, bring a tote, bring a friend with strong opinions about other people's junk.
