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Mark September 21 on your calendar, theatre obsessives. That’s when Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS unleashes its annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, turning West 44th and 45th Streets into a theatre kid’s fever dream from 10am to 7pm ET, with the live auction at 5pm.
Expect piles of Playbills, props, posters and rare memorabilia stacked high, plus fans elbowing through for that one keepsake they’ll brag about forever. Silent auctions take over Shubert Alley while the adrenaline-pumping live auction turns Times Square into its own Broadway stage. And this year, it’s bigger than ever, with booths and bargains fully packing both streets.
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The shopping frenzy isn’t the only draw for fans and collectors. The autograph table and photo booth return to Junior’s in Shubert Alley, where your favorite onstage stars sign, pose and generally cause long lines of giddy fans eager to see them up close. If you prefer to plot your strategy in advance, online pre-bidding opens September 5, letting you scope the best treasures before the chaos begins.
Last year’s edition shattered records, pulling in $1,421,675—pushing the all-time fundraising total well over $20 million since the event launched in the late ’80s. This isn’t just about scoring a Phantom mask or Wicked wand; every dollar fuels Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which provides meals, medication, housing and health services for people living with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses across the country.
It’s also one of the few days when the entire Broadway community feels like a block party. You’ll find ensemble members manning tables stacked with signed cast albums, ushers chatting with superfans and diehards swapping stories while digging through bins of glossy headshots. The Grand Auction ups the ante with experiences money literally can’t buy, from walk-on roles and backstage tours to signed show jackets.
Whether you’re bidding bold for a once-in-a-lifetime Broadway experience or just flipping through stacks of vintage programs like you’ve unearthed theatrical vinyl, this flea market delivers. If theatre is your religion, this is your high holy day.