A place to eat. Cinthia Cano stands in front of a menu featured at her eatery, Las Boricua Place. Anyone who stops by gets a free cup of coffee, the best that Puerto Rican can offer, she says. Photos by Mel Toadvin

The 50-year-old flea market behind 1303 Homestead Rd. is being brought back to life and people from Lehigh and all over are discovering a new place to shop and to enjoy themselves with weekend events.

“We’re putting our flea market back on the map,” said Mike Leppke, manager. He oversees all the different shops in the flea market and is the one to see if you want to lease a space.

“We have a great variety of things at the flea market by our 15 or more vendors. You can buy anything from antiques, knickknacks, appliances, food, produce, have clothes made and if you want new upholstery for your furniture, there’s a place there for that, too,” he said.

The flea market occupies the building to the rear of the Bravo District Sheriff’s

substation and next to the Senior Citizens Center. It faces the new Microtel Inn & Suites. There is plenty of parking and the shops are usually open from Tuesdays through Saturdays from around 10 a.m. to around 3 or 4 p.m. in the afternoon.

Oscar Perez has been at the flea market as The Tomato Man for 50 years. He also sells produce, antiques and knickknacks and at the front of the flea market.

But what’s even more exciting about the “new” flea market in Lehigh is the weekend programs held in front of The Tomato Man’s store. It is operated by Oscar Perez, who has running his shop for five decades.

Cinthia Cano of Lehigh is the flea market’s event coordinator and she is excited about the weekend events.

“Everyone should mark their calendars for Saturday, Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We’re going to have a really great program. We’re having Lehigh’s Got Talent and those in Lehigh who would love to come and perform are encouraged to attend and compete for a $100 prize,” Cano said.

The weekend events have been a success ever since they began back in October and November.

“We’ve had hundreds of folks to turn out,” she said.

Mike Lepke

Cano said as event coordinator, she is making the flea market a unique place to visit on weekends.

“We want to bring the community together and it seems that our events are doing that. We have a good turnout from all the diversified residents of Lehigh. They come here and enjoy the flea market shopping and they enjoy the programs we have. It’s great to see so many different backgrounds of people. That’s what we wanted to happen here in Lehigh,” she said.

The building housing the flea market has an interesting history. According to manager Leppke, who has been in Lehigh, he says, for a very long time, the building was used years ago for inside events of the Spring Festival.

“Both the outside and inside was used but much of the entertainment and cooking contests and other things were inside,” he said. “I’m going back when there was only one stoplight in Lehigh,” he said.

In later years before the Spring Festival moved to Veterans Park, the festival was held solely on the outside since the building had become a flea market. Entertainment and contests were held outside on a flat bed trailer.

The Lehigh Acres Flea market faces the new Microtel Inn & Suites and is located behind the building at 1303 Homestead Rd. It was once used for activities of the Spring Festival but has been brought back to life with a full flea market.

But Lehigh has changed vastly since those years and today there has been much growth in the area. Much of Business Way is building up. Part of the parking lot of the new hotel was also was used for the old festivals.

“Today, we have visitors in Lehigh who stay at the hotel who come over to the flea market. A few hundred yards from the building is a produce market with the freshest vegetables that can be found,” Leppke said.

“And what’s great about our flea market is that even though it is behind the 1303 Homestead complex, it is easy to get to. Visitors can come to the flea market via Beth Stacey Blvd., Homestead Rd., and Plaza Drive.

If you come in from Beth Stacey, enter the parking lot of the Lehigh Professional Building and bear left to the gravel road. The big produce stand is there. Keep on going and you will see a spot where used cars are also for sale on the outside,” he said. The actual address of the flea market is 270 Beth Stacey Blvd. To enter from Plaza Drive, drive in front of the Senior Citizens Senior Center and you will see it straight ahead.

Already, event coordinator Cinthia Cano is planning future weekend events. In March, all the churches in Lehigh are invited to come and hold their own bake sales or whatever they want to do. We are also encouraging them to bring talent so the crowds can enjoy the music. It can be any kind of talent from church choirs to whatever talent members may have,” Cano said. “We really would love to get all the churches together, no matter their denominations. What they make is theirs.”

The flea market is open during the week. With plenty of parking there, Leppke says you can visit such places that can install stereo equipment in your cars, trucks or vans. You can also purchase other electronic gadgets and there are plans for a vendor to repair and sell computers.

There is an eatery and outside cafe that sells Puerto Rican and American dishes. Stop by Las Boricuas and you can get a free cup of coffee.

There are appliances such as refrigerators, microwaves and ranges. Another shop does upholstery and custom makes curtains. There are two large shops that sell antiques, used items and collectibles. One is operated by Oscar Perez, known by many as “The Tomato Man.” He also sells produce. Next door to him is another shop that sells collectibles and antiques. There is a woman at one of the shops who does alterations and can also make curtains and other items.

Then there is Dave’s Delights that sells all type of oils incense, some

antiques and collectibles. A variety shop sells spices and herbs. Also there is All Things Beautiful where you can buy unique purses and handbags. Dan Lippke, Mike’s brother, uses a chainsaw to produce beautiful carvings of various animals and birds. They are usually on display outside and Dan can be found carving and painting another item. And there’s other shops to visit, too.

Liz Burgos hopes everyone will come by her small eatery that she owns with Cinthia Cano.

“We have a wide variety of foods and serve breakfasts and lunches for very fair prices,” she said,.

“And the coffee is really great and a cup of coffee is always free anyone who stops by.

“We offer them a cup of excellent coffee from Puerto Rico.”

Leppke says the flea market has been brought back to life and with the excellent activities on weekends, he believes people of Lehigh and visitors from Fort Myers can spend a fun Saturday in Lehigh.

“It’s all about having a place here like this. We may not be as big as the flea markets in Fort Myers, but people don’t have to walk and walk to get through them, too. Here in Lehigh, we have a really great variety of places and we are a group of friendly people.”

Cano said she wants to remind everyone about the Lehigh’s Got Talent Contest set for Saturday, Feb. 19. She noted there is a $25 registration fee.

“It’s just a great place to visit here in Lehigh and we are turning an old landmark into a great new vibrant flea market and we think the people of Lehigh will find they have a gem here when they visit,” she said.