There’s a Place in CT Where You Can Watch a Movie, Buy a Chainsaw, and Eat Kettle Corn — All in One Night

What do you get when you combine a drive-in movie theater with a massive flea market? Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the legendary Mansfield Drive-In Theater and Flea Market located at 228 Stafford Road in Mansfield Center. It's a magical land where time stands still, the popcorn's always fresh, and someone's definitely selling a box of mysterious VHS tapes for a dollar. This place ain't just a movie theater, it's an experience and a slice of Americana.

It's kind of like the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market in New Milford. Imagine the Elephant's Trunk with two enormous screens, along with a concession stand. On movie night under the stars, Mansfield Drive-In features three giant screens that illuminate the sky. On the weekends, it morphs into a flea market wonderland.

It’s known as eastern Connecticut's largest flea market, and it’s hoppin’ every Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm, rain or shine, from late March through mid-November. They feature both indoor and outdoor shopping, along with their snack bar, accessible restrooms, and over 300 vendors, offering a diverse range of items from antiques and collectibles to produce and plants. Looking for a Pyrex bowl your grandma used to make her Jell-O salad in?

Admission? Just $3 per carload — so pack up your bargain-hunting buddies and cruise on in. Cash only at the gate, both for buyers and vendors, so hit the ATM on your way over. For everything you need to know about the Mansfield Drive-In movies and the flea market, click mansfielddrivein.com. The following are some items you might want to keep an eye out for at the Mansfield Flea Market.

1. Old Nintendo cartridges with homemade labels like “Super Jeff Bros.”
2. An entire table of belt buckles shaped like trucks, eagles, and one confused moose...
3. Bins of vinyl records featuring artists you’ve never heard of but feel strangely drawn to...
4. Homemade soap shaped like waffles (smells like lavender, tastes like regret)
5. Local honey sold by a guy in overalls who also sells swords...
6. A Polaroid camera with one photo still inside — it’s a blurry dog, probably named Max...
7. A gently used treadmill that now serves mainly as a clothes hanger display...
8. A hand-painted rock that says “Don’t Talk to Me Before My Coffee...”
9. A gently-used pogo stick next to a box of mismatched rollerblades...
10. Local sports memorabilia from defunct minor league teams like the New Haven Ravens...