Time to get to work!

Eighty seconds left and counting, we still hadn’t reached our Kickstarter goal. To be honest: we didn’t fret. For months we’ve talked about the city’s Rising Tide (for years we’ve watched it grow), and at 11:57 p.m. last Tuesday we could hear it rolling. 

Our #BuildTheFlea campaign is a long-term building project — starting with tables, benches and a bar build-out (funded by the Kickstarter), we’re improving the Cleveland Flea experience, one piece at a time. It wasn’t an easy decision to plan and launch a fundraiser to get this first phase completed. But we believe it was the right step. 

By inviting our community to invest in this project, we were able to take much bigger, better strides than we could have on our own. After all, where would the Cleveland Flea or any of our talented makers be if we never dared ourselves to be greater?

SO, THANK YOU, CLEVELAND! Since 2013, we’ve felt the Rising Tide swelling under our feet. You've dared us — every day, every market — to be greater. 

And with about 15 seconds left in our Kickstarter, you lifted #BuildTheFlea over our goal, dared us one more time and set us sailing toward our next level. Now, it's time to get to work!
 

NEXT STEPS?

1. Lumber. Our Kickstarter raised $40,612 toward our #BuildTheFlea project (see the breakdown of what dollars go where). Just after midnight last Wednesday morning, we gave Sam Cahill of 2nd Shift Design Studio thumbs up to order the lumber for our furniture build. 
    
2. Perks. We worked with Cleveland Flea artists, culinary pros and makers to craft rewards for our Kickstarter backers you can't get anyplace else. Need a refresher? Browse the guide to our top rewards. We'll be reaching out to backers and working with vendors this week to work out shipping, pick-up or delivery details. If you're a backer, be sure to check your Kickstarter-associated email address!
    
3. Slushies. Craft cocktail slushies will be for real at the next Flea. Considering summer hit at the May market, we think these chilly treats will be a welcomed hit for the hot season. Plus, our bar benefits a local nonprofit each month, so we're excited to add a new option for drinking to great causes! We'll resume voting for June flavors this week (stay tuned to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds to preview and weigh in).

Once the lumber is in, we'll be sharing details of the actual build. Fingers are crossed for a June Flea debut of the furniture! We're eager to show you what your support is building... and how much more we'll build and grow as a result. Here's to Cleveland!