North Fort Myers Elks Lodge Opens New Flea Market for Displaced Shell Factory Vendors
A lively marketplace has popped up in the North Fort Myers Elks Lodge parking lot. Vendors who used to sell at Shell Factory now set up shop here three times a week — Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to around noon.
Two local business owners, Donna Primavera and Carl Boscarino, jumped in to create this new trading space. They made the move after Paradise Vintage Market couldn’t fit all the displaced sellers in one spot.
“We’re very happy to have them, and obviously, by today’s turnout, you can see it’s very profitable for the vendors,” Primavera said. “And it helps our lodge raise money so we can continue our works of charity with the vets and the homeless,” Primavera told Fox 4 News.
When Shell Factory closed its doors without warning, Don Payton — who sold there for 10 years — found a new home at this fresh location.
“It’s a big relief knowing we got a home now,” Payton told Fox 4 News. “A place we know we can go, know exactly where it is, and can get set up and ready to go.”