What happens when you dump the merchandise from Kmart, Target, Wal-Mart, H&M, and those handy gadgets sold via late-late-night infomercials in the parking lot of one of the biggest racetracks in town; split up the goods among 500 neatly lined merchants peddling out of stalls, vans, and boxes; and sprinkle roughly 80 food, fruit, and smoothie vendors from every ethnic background possible in between the aisles? You get a consumer's wet dream and a tax-free day of shopping at Aqueduct Flea Market. Bargain hunters from all over the state have been flocking to this shopping oasis for more than 25 years. Shop till you drop, but wear comfortable shoes, because strolling through the 16-acre lot is an all-day event—it's billed as the largest flea market on the East Coast. Ah, but the constant cry of cheap treats is music to the ear—"Two for six, four for 10, grab 'em while they're hot"—with every product imaginable on display somewhere, from furniture to pet products and fishing poles to earwax removers. About an hour in, you'll be ready to eat everything in sight, and there's plenty. Feast on Chinese, Italian, Polish, and Caribbean cuisine. For dessert, go with some fresh fruit or a nutritious smoothie. Pig out as much as you want, because you still have another three-quarters of the market to walk—calories begone!

queens
110-00 Rockaway Boulevard, South Ozone Park, Queens. Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March through December
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