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Day Trippin’: Canton, TX
Escape your apartment for a while to squeeze some fun out of the last weeks of summer. Take a day trip to Canton for watersports, great food and a market like no other in the state.
Canton, Texas is about roughly 60 miles from Dallas, nestled between two lakes in an idyllic, wooded setting. This town of about 5,000 is the epitome of small-town America coupled with good old southern charm and hospitality.
Canton has two small lakes, perfect for fishing, swimming, hiking or picnicking. They also have two wineries, Texas Roads Winery and Savannah Winery and Bistro, that both have tasting rooms. Savannah also has a little Bistro, and Texas Roads has karaoke on Thursdays and Saturdays.
The restaurants are what you usually get in any small town in Texas – an Italian place, a Chinese buffet, a few Mexican restaurants and enough barbecue restaurants to outnumber the churches (as they should).
Now for the real reason people come to Canton. Canton is the home of First Monday Trade Days, the nation’s largest flea market and probably one of the oldest. Trade Days started in the 1850’s when folks would come to Canton on the first Monday of the month for court and to buy and auction stray horses. Eventually people would start bringing other livestock and items to sell and trade and thus First Monday Trade Days was born.
The market today looks quite a bit different than it did over 150 years ago, but it is still a site to see. The vendors stretch out over 100 acres selling everything from furniture and arts and crafts to toys, antiques and yard art. A lot of it has that “country and western” style about it, but not everything, and you can still find a few gems at a bargain if you look for it. This is a great place to find anything “shabby chic” or to get a metal Texas star for your patio at a decent price. The Wikipedia page actually has some excellent tips for newcomers. In a nutshell, go on a Thursday to avoid crowds, always try to haggle and remember where you parked when buying heavy items. Also, First Monday is always Thursday – Sunday preceding the first Monday of every month. Happy antiquing!
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Hey Gang,
You really do need to come to Canton,TX., First Monday Trade Days is something to experience. It’s has over 400 acres of shopping indoor and outdoor. Next First Monday is Thursday, August 2-5th (Sunday), most are open from 9:00 a.m. – till dark except on Sunday most are gone by 5:00 p.m. This happens every month from Thursday through Sunday before the first of Monday of each month. If you are not sure, check out http://www.visitcantontex.com for First Monday as well as all the other great things to do everyday. Check out first class resort; Millcreek Ranch Resort, Splashkingdom (largest waterpark in East Texas), Beautiful Historic Downtown Canton, with unique shops and eateries. Also Dish Barn downtown is a must see with Fiesta Potteries all at incredible prices, upscale home decors downtown, upscale apparell store, western store, antique stores all open Monday through Saturday everyday. Canton is only 50 miles from Dallas east on I-20 toward Shrevesport. In the fall we have xmas tree farms, checkout Yesterland off I-20 which also have family fun and outings in the Spring and in the fall! Canton a great place to COME ANYTIME!