As my week in Texas is drawing to a close, my friend Kim and I are heading just up the road to First Monday Trade Days in Canton. I realize it’s not Monday and it’s not the first of anything, but the Trade Days are held the weekend before the first Monday of every month and next Monday is February 1st, thus today begins First Monday. Actually tomorrow is the official beginning of First Monday, but locals know you can go on Thursday too.
Enough jibber jabber!
What in the world is First Monday Trade Days? It’s a smorgasborg of useful stuff such as antique milk bottles, sequined headbands, bejeweled planters, weight loss formulas, miniature fountains suitable for your living room, dolcimer recordings, handpainted wooden doll furniture, stained glass windows, frou frou hair bows, bulletin boards for your college sorority girl, bird feeders, and tutus. Everyone needs a tutu, after all.
While at First Monday (as we frequent shoppers call it) you can meander through hundreds of vendors’ make-shift shops, covering over 100 acres. While you carefully examine each antique plate and vintage tablecloth you’ll want to sip on some steaming gourmet coffee or guzzle down a bottle of Dublin Dr. Pepper made with pure cane sugar. Then for lunch you can have just about anything you want on a stick or stuffed with bacon.
People pull or push little carts made just for this sort of rough terrain shopping as they travel from one vendor awning to another, sticking to the pavillions in inclement weather (as we’re supposed to have today) or venturing into the wooded areas when you just need a break from the crowded buildings. Women talk to their shopping buds on walkie talkies, spying out great deals for each other and keeping an eye out for that perfect centerpiece for their pal’s dining room table. Husbands either defect to the antique tool vendors, the collection of Buddy Holly memorabilia, or the turkey leg stand. Then, after they’ve met up with their wives again, they tag along looking at all the things the wife now needs to make up her mind about and wants her husband’s “opinion” on.
And so, Kim and I will join the masses of mostly women, dressed in their cute denim jackets, their most stylish but still practical walking shoes, and their fanny packs, to look for more stuff that we just gotta have. Actually Kim and I will spend very little as we have a very little budget, but still we’ll oogle and oggle over the latest creations made with buttons, sequins, vintage green paint, feathers, and broken glass.
Are you waiting for the spiritual content of this post? Sorry, nothing here. Except to say you might want to pray for me to stay within my ridiculously small budget. Hard thing to do with all those blue medicine bottles, fancy oil and vinegar sets, and patchworked t-shirts around!
Too funny!! You know, in 20 years of living in Texas, and ALL of our family within 2 hours of Canton, I have NEVER been to First Monday there! I know…it's sad! LOL Hope you have a GREAT time…and stay in your budget! Besides, you'd have to haul all that home to AZ too! Missed you last night!
I LOVE LOVE Canton!!! Have fun….:)
Stephanie and Kay, as another Texas native that has been all around the state to various things, I too have never been to Canton. I think I will drag my kids there when they need to see antiques that I grew up with…tape cassette walkmans, personal cotton candy makers (that still make the very best cotton candy), TV's with turn knobs, etc.
Kay, I do think it can be akin to a spiritual experience though when you shop with your best friends and spend your time enjoying the moment with kindred spirits recognizing the array of God-given talent that is evident all around you.
Here's to a great time
Hi Kay, I just stopped over from Beth's at Outnumbered 3 to 1. I always enjoy meeting new blogging friends. You have a great blog. I enjoyed browsing around at your place today. If you're interested, I would love for you to stop by my place some time and meet me and my family too. It was nice spending a little time here today.
Christy Rose
Hi Kay,
Hope you have a blessed time today shopping…sounds like fun! 🙂
Angie
Sounds like a blast! I've been to events that sound so similar. You've described it perfectly. The food on the stick, the fanny packs, the obliging husbands. Have fun! And be sure to show us what you get!
Trying not to be jealous… 🙂
Have a wonderful time. Can't wait to hear about your finds!
KAY!!! I think we must have been friends in a former life. I have been to Canton many, many times (my sisters live in Dallas) and love it so much. I haven't been there in a few years, though, so it's time for me to get back there.
One year I convinced a bunch of my friends here (in Chicago) to head down there with a trailer. We all put in about $500 each and we shopped and shopped and shopped. Then we carted all of our stuff back up here and had a sale at one of our friends' homes. It was SO much fun (and SO much work). We all recouped the money we put in and made a little to boot. What great memories.
Oh, and the pies. The pies!! Never in my life have I had such wonderful pies–coconut cream, banana cream, chocolate cream. Mmmmmm.
I love Canton!!
I don't live too far from Canton but I haven't been either! It's on my list though, especially after reading this post!