Its The First Monday of March

Other than stating the obvious based on the calendar that also means this past weekend was Trade Days in Canton Texas.  First Monday Trade Days has been going on in Canton since before the Great Depression.  But, before I write any more on that let's start with where is Canton.  Not the Canto that is the home to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Ohio but the small almost East Texas town.  Canton is your typical small Texas town.  It has a town square and boasts almost 4,000 people.  A sleepy quite town for most of the month it swells to 200,000 plus on Trades Day Weekends.  The town owns most of the grounds so as a result Canton has no city property taxes.  Trades Day funds their local city government.  There are many in the town who make most of their living on these twelve weekends per month.

Trades Day itself is hard to describe.  It was started by local Farmers and ranchers who would get together to trade Dogs, guns, tools and crops.  By the time we started going in 1982 it was well established as the place to go to find eclectic items.   Though the gun dealers have pretty much disappeared so you no longer see people walking around with rifles over their shoulder.  Over the years we have bought craft items, tools, craft supplies as well as two dogs.  When we first started going it was almost completely open air and had a few ramshackle shops in the down town area but it was over 180 acres of open air market and just as heavily attended then as today.  Over the years they have covered most of the market and you find fewer junk dealers than before and fewer artists and craftsmen.  The famous Dog Alley is still mostly open air and you can get most any animal there domestic or exotic(legal).  We tend to stay away from Dog Alley these days as we don't need any more pets with two high maintenance cats.  We also don't tend to make the three secondary markets that are privately owned and also large.  You simply can't see the main market at Canton in a day much less make the other three.

We decided to go this weekend as the weather was supposed to be great (and it was).  We arrived about 11:00AM and left at 3:30PM suitably tired and according to Pam's Pedometer having walked in excess of 10,000 steps.  We found a few small items bought a few treats.  There are food vendors spread out through the grounds.  Had a great time watching all the people from the serious shoppers on a mission to find that great deal to the East Texas native that does a significant amount of their non food shopping at Trades Days once a month.  While I am a dyed in the Wool Texan I will admit some of these East Texans would do Jeff Foxworthy proud.

I have attached a number of pictures that will give you some idea of the scope.  There are not any of individual shops as taking pictures of product is frowned on.  Canton is one of those places everyone should visit at least once.  Buy a bag of Kettle Corn, a sausage on a stick and a big glass of ice tea and prepare to have an interesting day.  As I find myself channeling my dad more and more these days don't miss the chance to chat up the vendors as most have interesting stories to tell and unless they are swamped, like to tell them.  Wear comfortable shoes and don't forget your hat.

We have just arrived its 11:00 on a Sunday morning.  You will note there are not a lot of people yet.  This is just one piece of the many covered sale barns.

Yet another barn and the crowds are increasing.  You will notice we came prepared complete with a rolling cart.

This is around 12 o'clock.

Heading out into one of the few open areas left.

This is what Canton used to look like.

The crowds at 2 o'clock.

Decorators Alley.  This building is full of warehouses that open to the public during First Monday.


More Later

Bruce