The annual Punk Rock Flea Market hosted by Ashley Caruso occurred Sept. 7 at The Mill and Mine. With over 150 vendors and 12 bands, locals were able to celebrate the creativity of their community while eating local food.
Caruso is originally from San Diego, California, and moved to Tennessee 15 years ago. When she moved to the city she had felt something missing from the previous destinations she lived in: the Punk Rock Flea Market.
Caruso had discussed the idea with locals, and in 2005, she held the first market here in town. She described why this event is special to the city.
“Punk rock isn’t just a genre of music,” Caruso said. “Punk rock is more about being the misfit or the odd one out.”
The purpose of this event is to allow people to be themselves in a comfortable, safe environment, and that is exactly what Caruso created.
The venue was filled with locals in unique outfits, but one thing everyone had in common was that they were enjoying themselves.
“I think the most punk rock thing somebody can be is just authentically themselves,” Caruso said. “I want people to express who they really are here, unapologetically.”
The entertainment, curated by Chris Rusk, ranged from local to regional. Each band had their own unique style of punk, catering to each person in the audience.
This year, the market hosted BreastStrokes, a nonprofit that has been raising money for 15 years for local women with cancer who are struggling to cover financials. The organization is fully volunteer-based and gives every penny to women in need.
Ammi Knight, co-founder for BreastStrokes, explains how far the organization has come since the start.
“At first we were able to hand a couple of our friends $300 to $400,” Knight said. “Now we give 10 to 15 recipients thousands.”
The organization partners with a local cancer clinic which refers women without insurance who then are able to apply to be a recipient.
Ami Davis, president of the board, joined the nonprofit 11 years ago when she moved to Knoxville. She discusses why she chose BreastStrokes opposed to the other organizations in town.
“We don’t have any specifications on the funds that we allocate,” Davis said. “We believe that women know what they need and so that is our mission — to gather money and give all of that money away.”
BreastStrokes held its fundraising upstairs in an enclosed area where women were able to volunteer to help other women in need.
“It is about the art but it’s not just about the art,” Davis said. “It’s also about having a super empowering event.”
The presence of acceptance was felt throughout the entire venue, whether you were there to enjoy the music, buy handmade crafts or meet new people.
In the future, Caruso hopes to create a larger destination for the market that will last overnight, allowing for the people who come to be able to hang out with each other.
In the meantime, Caruso will continue to hold the annual flea market for locals to let loose. If you haven’t had the chance to attend the event, be sure to follow @punkrockfleamarket_knoxville_ on Instagram to get updates on the upcoming market.
