On the first Saturday of every month from 2:30 to 5:30 PM, people of all ages, sizes, and interests gather in a corner of Carrboro for socializing, for community spirit, and for free stuff. Some people come with treasures to be passed on: bags full of clothes, candlesticks, tapestries, strange books, lunch boxes, lanterns, or fragments of electronics. Others come empty handed to hunt through the piles of old belongings.
Some things are ragged and torn, while others are brand new: I have seen everything from old family photographs to a shiny red unicycle. There is food laid out on tables, thousands of items lining the sides of the covered walkway, pamphlets and literature for the taking, and even signs for free haircuts or hugs. Best of all (you guessed it): everything is free.
At the heart of the Really Really Free Market is a community supporting itself and keeping goods from going to waste. You don’t have to bring anything to offer—I didn’t the first few times I went—but it’s more fun when you can smile as, ten minutes after you arrive, a 5-year-old parades down the sidewalk ten minutes later with your old scarf tied around his head. You’re also welcome to take whatever you see, and if you don’t like it later, bring it back next time!
The official website states that “everyone is welcome” and “encouraged to give, receive, and create on their own terms.” There are no rules, no buying, selling, or exchanging, and absolutely no price tags!
For information and pictures, visit: http://www.carrboro.com/reallyreallyfreemarket/
