If you live in the DFW area and have never been to Canton, TX for the First Monday Trade Days you are missing out on one the coolest experience this state has to offer. Go to the trade days' website, pick a weekend, load up the truck and get there! You won't regret it. https://www.cantontxfirstmonday.com/first-monday-trade-days-dates.htm
The WKNDR Snapshot
1. Dinner - Friday:
Either Buc-ee's in the room (If you arrive late)
Boot Hill Restaurant
2. Saturday Morning
Cinnamon Rolls at 1890's Ice Cream & Pie Shop
3. Funtivities
Morning - Dog Alley (Cuteness Overload)
Afternoon - Canton 1st Monday Trade Days
Evening Drinks - Boot Hill Restaurant
With a bottle of wine from Silver Lake Cellars Winery
4. Dinner
The Kickin' Mule
5. Sunday Brunch
Buttermilk's (Eat the dang pie!)
As we started to research trips near DFW we heard about the legendary Canton, Tx. Still to this day it boasts the title of oldest and largest continually operated flea market in the United States. Sounded like a fun weekend trip but we truly had no idea what we were getting into until we saw it first hand. Case in point: We walked 9 miles on just Saturday and probably saw 25% of it. It was incredible.
Arriving late on Friday night to our AirBNB on 'The Mountain', we called our host Linda, she told us where to park and that she would meet us at our car with a golf cart. Linda has one of the most vibrant personalities of any host we've had. She briefly shows us around The Mountain and carts us up The Mountain to our AirBNB. The Mountain is a small mix of AirBNBs, B & Bs, shops, and restaurants old wild west settlement theme. There is a gourmet honey shop, thrift stores, local artisans, a winery, knife shop and more; The Mountain is an adventure in itself, but pales in comparison to the trade days.
Our room had 3 full big beds for us to choose from. We got our snacks ready, put on some music, crack open a bottle of wine and plan for the next day.
Linda's cinnamon rolls (a favorite of Michal and mine), at '1890's Ice Cream & Pie Shop,' were the bomb. Linda sure can cook!
The space was rustic, matching the theme of The Mountain, the drinks were cold and the food was great! Linda shared with us that across the street is an unofficial part of the trade days called 'Dog Alley' or 'Dog Town'. This is where hundreds of sellers, breeders and amateurs alike, bring their animals to sell. Oh. My. Goodness. After weaving through rows of farm animals, plants, artistically displayed junk and various auto parts, we finally make our way to the 'Dog Alley' and see rows upon rows of every single breed of puppy you could imagine. There were German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Huskies, Corgis, Pit Bulls, and on and on! And guess what? You can pet them! It was so great. We could have spent the whole day there… but we knew if we stayed too long we would end up taking a new pet (or two) home.
After walking into the First Monday Trade Days grounds, we realized that this is not your ordinary flea market. We immediately walk into a very high end furniture showroom with some of the most gorgeous, hand crafted, ranch style woodwork we have ever seen. We spend half an hour ogling the furniture here before deciding to move on. We started walk down a narrow walkway with old wooden style buildings before we enter the first of many quarter mile long pavilions. We spend the next 5 hours wandering the pavilions purchasing everything from wall décor, to candles, to yard art. This place had everything.
At around 4 in the afternoon, we walked back to The Mountain, pick up a bottle of wine at Silver Lake Cellars Winery and hang out at Boot Hill restaurant which was very close to our AirBNB.
Michal and I had another favorite here (chips and salsa) and sat watching the sunset while chatting with the other patrons. What an experience! The folks at Boot Hill were some of the nicest people we have ever met. Quick to welcome us, chat with us and suggest other places there for us to check out. This place is a hidden gem of The Mountain.
Dinner was at The Kickin' Mule and was walking distance from our AirBNB. The food was amazing and the beer was cold and we loved the rustic industrial décor… oh and they fill the beer glasses from the bottom! Pretty freaking cool. After our long day and walking almost 9 miles, we headed back to our to the BNB and crash.
Sunday morning was spent flower pot shopping near the entrance of the fair grounds. These are some of the best deals for terra cotta pots this size we have seen.
If you are into gardening at all, this is a must. We round out our last day in Canton with one hell of a brunch at Buttermilk's. The food was solid and worth returning for but that Buttermilk pie stole the show. We would drive to Canton just to eat that pie. That in combination with loads of puppies, awesome shopping, and some great people, make for one amazing trip within an hour drive of Dallas, Tx. Put Canton, TX's First Monday Trade Days on your list. You won't regret it.
Can't wait to come down there and check it out! I might even leave with a puppy or a pig :)