Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet Flea market and music venue in California
The Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet is a flea market and music venue in Santa Fe Springs , California.[ 2] [ 3] It predominantly caters to Mexican Americans and Chicano culture,[ 4] selling food and beverages, art, clothing, household goods, and more unusual products.[ 5] [ 6] As a music venue, the Swap Meet is largely known for featuring tribute acts ,[ 7] [ 8] but also features shows by prominent Latin music groups and other well-known musicians.[ 9]
After being founded as a drive-in theater in the 1940s, the Swap Meet eventually transitioned into the flea market that it is today. It has since built up a dedicated following of Southern California residents.[ 1]
Legal incidents
In 2006, the Swap Meet was subject to a police raid to seize potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of counterfeit consumer goods .[ 12] In 2016, the site became host to illegal street racing , following which a threatening young street racer was shot by California Highway Patrol .[ 13]
On October 17, 2014, forty-three-year old Elizabeth Yanez was stabbed to death in the site's parking lot by twenty-two-year old Reggie Cervantes.[ 14] The two had gotten into a verbal confrontation over a parking space, which came to involve Yanez's two adult children and a companion of Cervantes.[ 15] Charges against this second co-defendant, nineteen year old Brenda Rangel, were subsequently dropped,[ 16] and Cervantes was convicted of voluntary manslaughter .[ 17] He was sentenced to thirteen years in state prison in January 2016.[ 18]
On June 14, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in tactical gear raided the Swap Meet,[ 19] arresting a number of people alleged to be illegal immigrants .[ 20] The concert scheduled for that night was later postponed.[ 21] [ 22]
References
^ a b Huerta, Erick (December 8, 2021). "The L.A. TACO Guide to the Best Swap Meets and Flea Markets for Holiday Shopping" . L.A. Taco . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Reyes-Velarde, Alejandra (July 3, 2020). "Under siege by a virus that thrives in crowds, L.A. swap meets face a reckoning" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ "Discover the Treasures of Santa Fe Springs, California" . California.com . June 13, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Delgado, Michael (March 20, 2023). "The culture behind Santa Fe Springs' swap meet" . Talon Marks . Cerritos College . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Hernandez, Daniel (March 16, 2020). "Now missing at L.A. swap meets: live music and cheap toilet paper" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ "Top 10 Things To Do In Santa Fe Springs, CA" . VanLifeWanderer.com . Wanderer. April 8, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Ducker, Eric (August 27, 2023). "In Southern California, a Fresh Wave of Fandom for 'Los Estrokes' " . The New York Times . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ "Fontana resident plays for Metallica tribute band which will perform in nationally-televised live concert" . Fontana Herald News . March 10, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Flores, Andrea (September 28, 2023). "De Los weekend guide: Kali Uchis at the Bowl and Latino theater in L.A. and O.C." Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Macintosh, Dan (May 17, 2023). "Violent Femmes Deliver a Range of Radio Hits in Memorable Santa Fe Springs Show" . U.S. Rocker . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Chavez, Conny (April 4, 2023). "Violent Femmes Celebrating 40 Years of Debut Album in LA" . MXDWN.com . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ "Police raid local swap meet" . Whittier Daily News . August 15, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ "CHP kills threatening teen pickup driver: Illegal street racing 'sideshow' " . MyNewsLA.com . July 5, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ "Woman fatally stabbed in fight over swap meet parking space" . WLS-TV . October 24, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Day, Brian (November 20, 2014). "Man denies charges in Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet stabbing death" . Whittier Daily News . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Gonzales, Ruby (August 3, 2015). "Fatal stabbing over parking space at Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet goes to trial" . Los Angeles Daily News . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Bloom, Tracy (August 14, 2015). "Man Found Guilty of Killing Woman Over Parking Spot at Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet: DA's Office" . KTLA . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Pamer, Melissa (January 5, 2016). "Man Gets 13 Years for Killing Mother Over Swap Meet Parking Spot Dispute" . KTLA . Retrieved January 26, 2024 .
^ Mendez, Jasmine; Potts, Mark E. (June 14, 2025). "Witnesses say immigration agents raided concert at Santa Fe swap meet" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 15, 2025 .
^ DuBose, Josh (June 15, 2025). "Dozens of heavily armed ICE agents swarm popular L.A. County swap meet" . KTLA . Retrieved June 15, 2025 .
^ Pulliam, Tim (June 15, 2025). "Several people taken into custody during immigration raid at Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet" . KABC-TV . Retrieved June 15, 2025 .
^ Mendez, Jasmine; Solis, Nathan; Breijo, Stephanie; Dolan, Jack (June 15, 2025). "Immigration raids continue as Trump appears to soften on targeting some workplaces" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 15, 2025 .