Melrose Trading Post

The Melrose Trading Post is a program of Greenway Arts Alliance, a community-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to unite communities through art, education and enterprise.

Every Sunday, the Melrose Trading Post offers a continuously evolving experience, including a curated selection of handcrafted artisan goods, eclectic arts and craft, vintage fashion, antique furniture and countless one-of-a-kind treasures.

The popular weekly market also features local performers including music, dance, theater and spoken word to raise much needed funding for Fairfax High School arts and leadership programming.

Through admission and vendor fees, the Melrose Trading Post has grown to become a successful ongoing social enterprise program, awarding grants to Fairfax High School organizations for sports equipment, beautification projects, teacher programs, theatre productions, and more – totaling well over eight million dollars since the Melrose Trading Post’s humble beginnings in 1997.

Through Greenway Arts Alliance, the Melrose Trading Post provides formal job and life skills training to large numbers of paid and volunteer students from Fairfax High School – the first real-world job experience for many. The market also serves as an incubator to promote small community businesses and budding entrepreneurs, many of them professional artists, by providing affordable retail opportunities in a prime, high-traffic location.

The Melrose Trading Post, started in 1997, celebrated its 20-year anniversary in 2017, and continues to be celebrated as a cherished community and cultural resource.