The Really Really Free Market (RRFM) movement is a horizontally organized collective of individuals who form a temporary

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...

based on an alternative

gift economy A gift economy or gift culture is a system of exchange where valuables are not sold, but rather given without an explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards. Social norms and customs govern giving a gift in a gift culture; although there ...

. RRFM events are often hosted by people unaffiliated with any large organization, and are encouraged to sprout up by anyone, anytime, anywhere. The RRFM movement aims to counteract

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

in a proactive way by creating a positive example to challenge the questioned myths of scarcity and competition. The name Really Really Free Market is itself a play on words as it is a reinterpretation and re-envisioning of the term ''

free market In economics, a free market is an economic market (economics), system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of ...

'', which generally refers to an economy of competition governed by supply and demand. The RRFM holds as a major goal to build a

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

based on sharing resources, caring for one another and improving the collective lives of all. Markets often vary in character, but they generally offer both

goods In economics, goods are anything that is good, usually in the sense that it provides welfare or utility to someone. Alan V. Deardorff, 2006. ''Terms Of Trade: Glossary of International Economics'', World Scientific. Online version: Deardorffs ...

and

services Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...

. A RRFM usually takes place in an open community space such as a public park or community commons.

Origins and spread

The first Really Really Free Market in the United States happened simultaneously in Miami, Florida, and Raleigh, North Carolina, during the anti-globalization protests against the

FTAA The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA, , ALCA, Portuguese: ''Área de Livre Comércio das Américas'', ALCA, French: Zone de libre-échange des Amériques, ZLEA) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all ...

in 2003. The idea of a "Really, Really Free Market" emerged from a visioning ritual by members of the Pagan Cluster in Austin in preparation of the FTAA Summit in Miami, November 2003. Members of the Green Bloc picked up the idea and made it real. Participants from the SouthEast Anarchist Network (SeaNET) held demonstrations using the Really, Really Free Market to protest the G8 summit in 2004. The idea quickly spread across the United States, Russia, and other countries such as Australia, England, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Africa, and Canada.

In the United States

The movement has taken root in dozens of cities in the United States, with some holding one-time events, annual, bi-monthly, and even monthly markets. 2023 Really Really FREE Markets were held i
Portland, ORSan Antonio, TXAnaheim, CA
and elsewhere.

Bloomington, Illinois

In 2025 the Bloomington-Normal Really Really FREE Market is every 3rd Saturday, 10am-1pm, in Miller Park, April thru October (weather dependent). This Really Really FREE Market started in 2011 as a bi-weekly free store at the corners of W. Market and Howard St. in west Bloomington, and has had monthly events at Miller Park since 2013

Tulsa, Oklahoma

In 2023 the Really Really FREE Market was hosted every 2nd Saturday at 621 E. 4th Stree

https://www.facebook.com/people/Tulsa-Really-Really-Free-Market/100093821318723

San Antonio, Texas

Held in 2023 at alternating parks, either Travis Park or Pitman-Sullivan park on the last Saturday of the mont

Portland, Oregon

As recently as 2022, attendees enjoy the market on the last Saturday of every month a
Gateway Discovery Park

Anaheim, California

Held on the last Sunday of the month at La Palma park. First active in 200

San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Really Really Free Market was co-organized by local activist Kirsten Brydum until her death in 2008. From around 2007 until 2010, it was hosted on the last Saturday of every month in

Mission Dolores Park Mission Dolores Park, often abbreviated to Dolores Park, is a city park in San Francisco, California. It is located two blocks south of Mission Dolores at the western edge of the Mission District. Dolores Park is bounded by 18th Street on the nor ...

. During 2007–2010 local organizers distributed "seed packets": CDs with a collection of digital flyers, announcements, pictures, and essays. This was part of the ongoing effort to encourage others to start their own RRFM. 2022 SF RRFM Stickers

the SF RRFM was revived for a one-time market in May, 202

Really Really FREE Market SF 2022

Pensacola, Florida

Held on the last Saturday of the month at Bayview Park. First active in 202

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Raleigh, North Carolina

Held every second Sunday at Eliza Pool Park. Restarted in June 2024

Greenville, North Carolina Held the first Sunday of every month at the Greenville Museum of Art.

In Australia

The RRFM has been known to sprout up in Bunbury, Australia as recently as 202

https://m.facebook.com/events/milligan/really-really-free-market/671859174455966/] It has also been hosted i
Kingston
in 2022, and is one is being held in Melbourne in 2023 at th
Catalyst Social Centre

In Singapore

The Singapore Really Really Free Market began around January 2009 and is still being hosted as of August, 202

https://www.timeout.com/singapore/shopping/singapore-really-really-free-market-srrf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL2JOTi5Kk

In Russia

The first Russian Really Really Free Market was organized in Moscow in 2008. The original name of RRFM was changed to "Freemarket" or "Absolutely Free Fair". Since that time, the idea of RRFM has spread widely across the Russian Federation. Participants of the movement arrange regular meetings in Moscow, Saint Petersburg,

Ivanovo Ivanovo (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Russia and the administrative center and largest city of Ivanovo Oblast, located northeast of Moscow and approximately from Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir and Kostroma. ...

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg (, ; ), alternatively Romanization of Russian, romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( ; 1924–1991), is a city and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District, Russia. The ci ...

Perm Perm or PERM may refer to: Places * Perm, Russia, a city in Russia **Permsky District, the district **Perm Krai, a federal subject of Russia since 2005 **Perm Oblast, a former federal subject of Russia 1938–2005 ** Perm Governorate, an administr ...

Belgorod Belgorod (, ) is a city that serves as the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately north of the border with Ukraine. It has a population of It was founded in 1596 as a defensiv ...

, Kirov,

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad,. known as Königsberg; ; . until 1946, is the largest city and administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast, an Enclave and exclave, exclave of Russia between Lithuania and Poland ( west of the bulk of Russia), located on the Prego ...

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət, t=Lower Newtown; colloquially shortened to Nizhny) is a city and the administrative centre of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast an ...

Yaroslavl Yaroslavl (; , ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl rivers. ...

Vologda Vologda (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda (river), Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. Population: The city serves as ...

Volgograd Volgograd,. formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area of , with a population ...

Tolyatti Tolyatti or Togliatti ( , ; , ), known before 1964 as Stavropol, is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Samara Oblast, Russia. It is the largest city in Russia which is neither the administrative center of a federal subjects of Rus ...

, Volzhsky,

Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk (, ; Karelian language, Karelian, Veps language, Vepsian and ) is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega for some . The population of the city is 280,890 as of 2022. ...

. Due to the often-harsh Russian climate the markets usually take place indoors, but summer meetings often occur in public parks, yards of apartment houses or city squares. In Ivanovo, for instance, the first free fair was held in Yesenin Square on 19 June 2011, but as winter set in, the RRFM meetings were moved to the reference room of the Regional Public library. RRFMs in Russia are often accompanied by master classes in handiwork such as

mehndi Mehndi () is a form of temporary skin decoration using a paste created with henna. In the West, mehndi is commonly known as henna tattoo, although it is not a permanent tattoo. Mehndi is a popular form of body art in South Asia and resembl ...

, hairdressing, and making stencils for textile printing; lectures on social and ecological problems; and the collection of secondary raw materials and charity fundraising to aid animal shelters.