MV Big Flea Turns 20: Alexandria’s Biggest Community Resale Event
Del Ray’s beloved resale event sets a $50,000 goal while rallying the community to donate, shop, and support local students
Alexandria, VA – For two decades, the MV Big Flea has helped Alexandria residents clear out space in their homes, score incredible deals, and keep thousands of useful items circulating in the community instead of heading to the landfill. Now the beloved Del Ray tradition is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and organizers are inviting neighbors across Alexandria to help make this year the biggest Big Flea yet.
The goal for the milestone year is ambitious: raise $50,000 while packing an entire building with donated treasures. The annual sale is scheduled for April 25 at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, a longtime home for the event.
Donations will be collected at the former Alexandria Health Department building at 2525 Mount Vernon Avenue, generously made available by Bonaventure. “This fundraiser works because everyone benefits,” Rose said. “Families declutter, shoppers find affordable treasures, and the proceeds help our school provide tutoring, weekend food security for students, and accessible after-school programs.” “The Big Flea isn’t just a fundraiser — it’s a community service.”
Over the past two decades, the MV Big Flea has raised more than $250,000 for Mount Vernon Community School students, helping fund tutoring programs, weekend food support, and after-school opportunities.
A True Community Effort
While the Big Flea benefits Mount Vernon Community School, it has grown into something much bigger than a traditional school fundraiser.
“We’re not just a one-way transaction,” Rose said. “The Big Flea provides real value. It helps neighbors declutter responsibly, keeps usable items out of landfills, and gives families access to great finds at affordable prices.”
“This definitely isn’t your average school read-a-thon fundraiser,” Rose joked. “We’re running a full-scale community resale operation.”
The event is run entirely by volunteers — including families of Mount Vernon Community School students and neighbors from across Del Ray and the wider Alexandria community. The Big Flea has also partnered with Volunteer Alexandria to create opportunities for residents of all ages to get involved.
Behind the scenes, hundreds of volunteer hours go into making the Big Flea possible. Donations must be collected, sorted, organized, priced, and transported — all before the first shopper walks through the door.
“The logistics for something like this don’t happen overnight,” Rose said. “They’re built on years of experience and knowledge passed down from organizer to organizer. Each year’s volunteers learn from the ones who came before them, and the event keeps getting better.”
The Big Flea keeps overhead low thanks to generous local support. Bonaventure provides storage space, Bagel Uprising fuels volunteers during long sorting days, Del Ray Hardware supplies repair items, and Jen Walker contributes the shopping bags — affectionately nicknamed “flea bags.” Local businesses and volunteers alike help ensure the event remains accessible and community-driven.
Donation Days: Help Fill the Flea
Community members can donate gently used household items, toys, instruments, tools, kitchen goods, and more on April 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2525 Mount Vernon Ave. Those with large donations can request pickup at www.thebigflea.org/donate. (Items not accepted: books, stuffed animals, heavy furniture, or textiles.)
This Year: Specialty Treasure Zones
Organizers hope to debut specialty sections featuring musical instruments, LEGO sets, video games, and American Girl dolls and accessories — if donations arrive.
“So if there’s a trumpet collecting dust in your basement, a LEGO kingdom waiting for a new builder, or an American Girl doll ready for her next adventure,” Rose said, “the Big Flea would love to give it a second life.”
Shop Early — and Join the Tradition
The MV Big Flea sale will be held April 25 at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, with early-bird entry beginning at 7:30 a.m. for $15, followed by free general admission later in the morning.
After twenty years, organizers say the Big Flea formula is still simple: donate, volunteer, shop, and celebrate community.
“This event belongs to Alexandria,” Rose said. “If we can fill the donation center, we can make the 20th anniversary the most exciting Big Flea yet.”
