Riverside Recycling

There’s something to catch your attention every Saturday in Tartu for the whole summer. You want to spend your time outside and enjoy the sun. See the city and the citizens, no matter if you’re a local or a tourist. Now this has become possible on Tartu Emajõe Kirbuturg. It’s a flea market on the riverside that will be arranged through the whole summer in Tartu city center.

It’s free for anyone to participate. You just need a blanket or a table to put your things on, and a will to sell! So why not go through your corners, collect the things you don’t need or use anymore and appear on the grass –everybody’s there! This I can tell based on last Saturday when the flea market was on for the first time. It was sunny, it was crowded and it was just enjoyable! And you could find and buy anything from jewellery to books, from home made wine to car spare parts (and a man playing an accordion with a sign “accordion for sale”) and a lot more.

There’s music all around the area, and loads of people not only buying and selling but also just meeting friends, updating news, gossiping, laughing, just being with people. The atmosphere is very relaxed and absolutely lovely. It’s a creative way to get people outside, to meet each other and to recycle not only items but also experiences and joy –without any restrictive expenses, fees or forms. 

And if you were to wonder if the weather should be good, if there are people moving or if the accordion is still for sale, you can also follow the flea market through a web cam every Saturday. But more than that I truly recommend experiencing the atmosphere on the spot. And yes, there’s sun in there, no matter the weather!