October 09, 2026
Michele C. Haddon/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rice's Market will close in Solebury Township on Dec. 29, ending a run that stretches back to its farm days from the 1860s up to the 1950s. For decades, the flea market has been a sprawling venue for a wide range of vendors to sell their goods.
Rice's Market, the bazaar that has operated for more than 100 years in Solebury Township, will close at the end of this year, the longtime owners of the Bucks County property said.
The indoor and outdoor flea market on Greenhill Road has long hosted a mix of vendors selling antiques, plants and produce, artisan crafts and home goods. The property covers about 30 acres of former farmland used for food and livestock auctions until the middle of the 20th century, when the flea market became a weekly tradition on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
"Over the years, Rice's became so much more than just a place to buy and sell," owners Robert and Barbara Blanche wrote in a social media post. "This has been an incubator for side hustles and small businesses, a staple in shopping adventures and for better or worse long traffic lines that were part of the experience for so many years. Some vendors stayed for a season, some for decades, and many grew from a small table or booth here into thriving businesses of their own."
The pending closure is being driven by a changing economic climate in recent years, the owners said.
"Thank you all ... every vendor who used Rices as a place to build your business, to every employee who spent a chapter of their life here, and to this community, especially those who returned year after year and generation after generation to see what unique treasure they could come across," the market's statement continued.
The farm was originally settled in 1860 by A.L. Rice, who grew produce and raised livestock on the property before becoming a regional auctioneer. Rice's family continued the tradition into the 20th century, adding a sales market in the 1950s that later became the focal point of the business. The Rice family sold the property in 1982 and the Blanches have run the market since then, upgrading facilities and adding paths over the years. At its peak, the market hosted more than 400 vendors.
The owners did not say what's in store for the future of the property. They encouraged longtime visitors to continue supporting small businesses.
"Find the local business and buy from them, stop at the farm stand, visit the independent shop, hire the person who turned their hobby into a business," the owners said.
Rice's Market will remain open every Tuesday and Saturday until the last day of operations on Dec. 29. The market also will be open Black Friday, which historically has been its busiest day of the year.
"Thank you for the memories, the friendships, the businesses built, and the decades of support," the owners said.
