Big In Texas: Check Out The Largest Flea Market In The State

I love flea markets.

I am, in fact, on the radio because of a flea market. My first job announcing things was at the La Mirada/Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet in California (on the West Coast "Swap Meet=Flea Market).  It was my job to say, "Space Eight has a wonderful selection of area rugs, now only ten dollars while they last". Yes, that was my job when I was just 15 years old.

With this as my background, you can probably guess how excited I was to hear about the largest flea market in all of Texas. About one hour Southeast of Dallas you'll find "First Monday Trade Days" in Canton, Texas.  They actually make the claim of not only being the biggest in Texas but the biggest in the world. They are more than just large though, they actually just celebrated turning 150 years old this past September.

So how big are they? They claim to have spaces for over 5,000 vendors and attract around 100,000 people at the event. I am actually stunned that with those kinds of numbers, I never heard of this event until now.

Before you start booking travel plans, consider that the name is an area colloquialism, and they are actually not open on Mondays. They actually open the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before the first Monday of the month. So for instance, if you wanted to visit the next time they open in November, you'd need to make plans for the second through fifth, and not the sixth.

I plan on making a pilgrimage to this place. I'm hoping I can apply for a job as an announcer.