Correspondent photo / Nancilynn Gatta Journee Haywood, 2 of Niles, selects a cookie from Gravely Delicious stuffed cookies on Saturday during the inaugural Mahoning Valley Punk Flea in downtown Warren. The event had music, vendors, information tables and food in this community celebration.

WARREN — The Mahoning Valley’s inaugural Punk Flea was an ambitious undertaking for Warren resident Cory Weddell.

The event on Saturday had musicians on two different stages — Dave Grohl Alley and The Underground Lounge — as well as vendors, makers and information booths. Funds from the event are going to the nonprofit, Thrive Mahoning Valley, which brings together new and established residents to community events.

“I started organizing it in January,” said Weddell, who grew up in Niles. It all came together in less than a year, which is atypical of a first time gathering.

Weddell moved back to the area almost two years ago from Ravenna. While living there, he became aware of similar happenings.

“They had Punk Fleas in Akron and Ravenna. I thought it would be a good idea to have it here. Warren has a great music tradition and a strong sense of community,” he said.

He also included a fundraising effort.

Proceeds from the raffle, T-shirt designed by Telltale Designs and sold at the Darlene Lounge, wings from The Underground Lounge and a signature beer, the Punk Darlene, which contained guava that Modern Methods Brewing Company created, went toward Thrive Mahoning Valley, Weddell said.

When he discussed having a Punk Flea with his friends, they told him “you know a lot of people, you can do it.”

So he began to reach out to people on social media and locally. He talked to numerous people he had met at the Modern Methods Brewing Company Night Markets, and Nate Offerdahl, owner of Westside Bowl, helped him find bands to perform that afternoon.

Some vendors came as a package deal.

“My husband played in the band, Proud House of Schmucks. I make molds for my concrete sculptures. We came down from Michigan with one of our four children,” Jenni McGrath said. Her business is Wildfire Sugar Bunni Goods.

Other participants who traveled from out of town to be included for the afternoon gathering were makers from Steubenville, Cleveland and Sharon, Pennsylvania. The band, Wasted Society, also was from Cleveland.

Local vendors also were happy to participate in Punk Flea.

“As a local business, I always like to support the community and if Modern Methods is involved, it is always a good time,” said Leslie Dunlap, owner of FattyCakes Soap Company in downtown Warren.

The afternoon was also a time to make attendees aware of local institutions.

“We have a pop- up library here where you can sign up for a library card, and learn about our programs and events,” said Jessica Mackey from the Community Engagement Department at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library. Behind her table was the pop up library van where attendees could check out a book.

Mackey said when Weddell approached her about the Punk Flea, she thought that it sounded like fun and a great way to inform and engage younger people in what the local libraries offer.

There also was a second fundraiser happening in Dave Grohl Alley.

“Dove is a pitbull mix I am raising money and selling t-shirts to help for Dove’s cancer treatments,” said Ali Knauff, Dove’s human parent and an employee at Modern Methods Brewing Company.

On a beautiful autumn afternoon,it was an easy walk to The Underground Lounge to watch the Frantic Nancys from Warren perform or view the maker items from crochet animals to beaded jewelry to paintings.

The third location for the Punk Flea was The Darlene Lounge that offered additional makers from vegan brownies and jewelry to repurposed items from nature into oddities of deceased butterflies and foraged bones.

The Punk Flea created its own community of makers and attendees to enjoy music, food and shopping that displayed the hospitality of the Valley and the positivity of the area for visitors and locals, which is what Thrive Mahoning Valley strives to do.