Amplify Punk Voices: KY Punk Rock Flea Market
Wife, mother, music event organizer, and all around creative, Chelsea Elliott is the mind behind Kentucky Punk Rock Flea Market (KYPRFM).
What inspired her?
"I always say it was born out of frustration (and necessity, really). What I mean by that is that the area we’re in doesn’t really cater to the weirdo artists. The craft markets here are typically the same vibe—big, bulky wreaths, monogrammed sweaters, tumblers, MLM reps, etc. Those events are a dime a dozen and definitely are not the place for people who make oddities and vibrant, one of a kind art.
I had originally started this as a smaller market called Odd Ones Out. We had about 30 vendors and hosted it at the local brewery. The response was incredible and people were already asking when the next one was.
My friend that hosts Knoxville PRFM told me I should make it a punk rock flea market. I wasn’t aware it was that easy and to be honest, I didn’t feel like I deserved to be a founder of a punk rock flea—the first one in Kentucky, no less. Those events are huge and all over the world! And who am I?! But hey, here we are!"
October 2024, Chelsea organized the first KYPRFM. When asked what stands out from that first event, she says, "The first year went so much better than I could’ve dreamed. We had well over 3,000 attendees alone. That number doesn’t include vendors, volunteers and bands."
Chelsea’s dream was realized for a second year. And with a third annual KYPRFM planned, it is clear a clear success.
As a guest who attended the first event, and as a vendor for the second, I am thrilled Chelsea took the brave step to organize KYPRFM. Her success can be attributed to her hard work, community driven attitude, keeping “punk prices”, and being mindful of accessibility along with inclusion.
This zine was written to highlight punk voices.
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“We need a space for people to just be themselves—to be able to express themselves and be seen and not judged or looked at like they have two heads. We need a space for the emerging alt kids to know that it’s okay to be weird.”
