First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas - the Biggest and Oldest Flea Market in the Country

For over 150 years Canton Texas has been the site of a unique gathering on the first Monday of every month. Back in the 1850's a traveling District Judge covered the region, arriving regularly, he would hold court on the First Monday of every month. The event would bring people from around the area into town for the proceedings.

It became a time when people would bring in livestock and produce to sell in the town square, establishing an open air market over the weekend of the court hearings and trials. As time went on it became a meeting time for friends and relatives to get together as communication was nonexistent and it was an opportunity to catch up on the news and local events.

The Trade Days continued to grow, to the point of causing problems for the town folks. With the mess created by this weekend event, people hoped it would fizzle out in the 1930's when horse trading tapered off. Soon hog trading came into fashion and the area became an important supplier of feeder pigs. The Trade Days continued to grow.

By the 1950's local home owners began renting space in their yards to vendors as the Trade Days continued to grow. Even with a city ordinance, attempts to shut it down failed.

Today, this sleepy little East Texas town of 5,100 people becomes the home of the largest monthly flea market in the country. With up to 7,000 vendors, and as many as 300,000 visitors, over a period of four days the town of Canton is totally consumed by the activity. After the weekend festivities finish up by Tuesday morning, everything shuts down, vendors clear out, and life returns to normal. For only three weeks, then it all starts over again.

Some vendors have permanent slots rented inside one of the many building. Set up as open halls, the vendor booths run down each side as potential customers amble along down the center aisle. The buildings are set up as if you are following a path, in one end, and out the other into the next pavilion. Many vendors set up tables and display their wares along this meandering trail. Others set up in a series of rows as people walk up and down looking for bargains.