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Everything’s bigger in Texas! This is certainly true when it comes to First Monday Trade Days at Canton Flea Market. The monthly four days event is truly more than just a flea market – it is the oldest and largest free flea market in the United States that hosts up to 300,000 visitors admiring the wide variety of wares from over 6,000 vendors located over hundreds of acres.
For 317 days a year, the tiny town of Canton in East Texas is a sleepy country crossroads, anchored by a stately limestone courthouse and historic square. But on four days a month, Canton turns with The First Monday Trade Days into an enormous flea market that features 28 miles of paths and aisles to wander. It is an post-apocalyptic world of garage sales or, in other words, a flea market just gone mad! If you put together every flea market you have ever visited — Canton Flea Market is likely to still be bigger!
What has started back in 1873 as a small location to trade horses, livestock, dogs, tools and farm equipment has become home to some of the most exciting, cutting-edge home furnishings, antiques and collectibles that can be found anywhere.
Trying to catalog the immensity of oddities is simply impossible. As one stall owner puts it, “if you can’t find it in Canton, it ain’t been made yet.” Particularly coveted are the housewares, furniture and artisanal goods — but nothing compares to the actual Canton Flea Market experience. To visit Canton is to enter an old-world Americana marketplace, filled with friendly conversations, honest recommendations, word-of-mouth advertising and secret family recipes.
For each market event a special guide is printed and you would be well-advised to buy it; this flea market can daunt even the hardest shoppers. As a rule, new or infrequent vendors are usually in the unreserved rows of garage-sale booths. In the shady West Gate area open air booths feature vintage clothes, architectural salvage and retro housewares. More established antiques merchants typically have bigger stalls along pedestrian paths.
Contemporary items like clothes, jewelry and artworks can often be found in one of the 11 pavilions or breezy atriums and the dealers of the Civic center in the middle of the grounds offer fine silver, rare first editions, fine antiques and iconic vintage pieces.
Canton Flea Market is not all about antiques, though. The Atrium, a tempting food course on the market grounds, offers delicious roasted corn, sausage dogs, turkey legs and funnel cakes. And don’t forget to get your perfect pair of vintage cowboy boots since finding these is serious business here in Texas.
Mona Scott
28th June 2015 at 08:51You gotta look hard, but there are real deals here mixed in the sea of china crap. It’s been here sense the 1800’s so the atmosphere is awesome. Go to the back where the locals sell and you will find great stuff.
Hugh Simmons
17th October 2015 at 02:14I’ve been here twice, and it really depends on the kind of weather they are having. If you can get here when it’s nice outside, the area will be rife with vendors of all sorts. There are the standard “permanent” vendors in the in-doors pavilions, but there are so many people who use this place as a giant yard sale type venue. Those are the vendors you should hit up. Indoors is a bit pricey for what they’re selling. Your best deals will be the farm stands outside and the people who are just trying to off-load their household goods. Regardless, if you’re in the area, it’s worth checking this place out — it’s one of the biggest flea markets I’ve ever been to.
Erma Lloyd
4th January 2016 at 19:41You can almost find anything in Canton. You have to walk a lot though and be patient with the crowds. You can find rare vintage items, cheap trinkets to high end decor. Bring cash and comfy shoes with lots of patience. If you like shopping and hunting for stuff you will like this place. Come early.
Loretta Russell
17th January 2016 at 20:01I have been to many flea markets, this one takes several days to go through. What is great about it is its diverse selection. There are some new items, but also many antiques, old architectural items, home made one of a king items and hard to find items. Be well rested because there is a lot of walking.