05:56 PM CST on Friday, November 12, 2004

By MARY ELLEN BOTTER / The Dallas Morning News

CANTON, Texas – Say "Canton," and shoppers' eyes light up. Their deal-seeking radar flips on, and they fantasize cruising miles of aisles of goodies.

To them, Canton is more than a mild-mannered, slow-paced community about an hour east of Dallas. It's a monster marketplace. Every four weeks or so, tens of thousands of eager buyers flood the town for First Monday Trade Days, a combo crafts fair, garage sale, furniture store, food court and you-want-it-we-got-it shopping spectacle.

Despite its name, Trade Days is held Thursday through Sunday the weekend before the first Monday of every month – rain or shine, holiday or not.

What began in the 1850s as a horse-trading and crafts-selling session timed to a judge's first-Monday visits to Canton has evolved into a free-enterprise free-for-all that fills about 200 acres at First Monday Park. (Yet more shopping spots have sprung up around it.) As many as 7,000 vendors gather for Trade Days, and on the most popular weekends (in fall and spring's mild weather), they may draw as many as 300,000 shoppers.

"We grow to the seventh-largest town in Texas when Trade Days is on," says Jim Stephens, community and economic development director of Canton, normally a town of about 3,500.

So lucrative is First Monday that Canton residents pay no city property tax.

Shoppers move through an array of wares ranging from rocking horses to Rolexes, silk flowers to cheese bread, candles to golf clubs, quilts to cookware, rusty wrenches to religious art, antiques to cowhides – and beyond.

"Everything is touch me, buy me," one longtime Canton shopper says.

Vendors take time to talk with customers. Some have come to Canton for decades. The Perkins family, who run Mimi and Papa's Place near the main gate, are in their fourth generation of selling goods at Canton.

Pushing wire carts or pulling wagons, the enthusiastic, cheerful crush of buyers and looky-Lou's ambles among displays. Small-town hospitality sparkles in the festival atmosphere.

Other communities have flea markets and trading days, but Canton's success and longevity are unique.

"This small town has come to be known for this," says City Manager Charles Fenner. "People everywhere know about it. A lot of cities envy us."

WHAT IS IT?
First Monday Trade Days is a gigantic market similar to large arts and crafts expos, with hodgepodge areas similar to garage sales.

GETTING THERE
First Monday Trade Days in Canton is just south of Interstate 20 about 60 miles east of Dallas. Three exits lead to Trade Days: state highways 64 and 19, and FM 859. Less-crowded FM 859 drops directly down to the west gate of First Monday grounds and city-operated parking lots. Signs to the main grounds are plentiful.

WHEN
Trade Days are Thursday through Sunday before the first Monday of every month, rain or shine and even on holidays such as New Year's. Sellers are usually open from about 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pavilions officially open Friday. The next Trade Days will be Dec. 2-5 and Dec. 30 through Jan. 2.

WHAT'S FOR SALE
As many as 7,000 sellers may participate in a given Trade Days. Merchandise varies widely but generally includes antiques, collectibles, art, crafts, furniture, clothing, home-decorating items, toys, tools, jewelry and food.

HOW MUCH?
Admission is free.

PARKING
Daily fee generally is $3. Enter city lots via the west gate (FM 859) and the main gate north of Highway 64 at Groves Street in downtown Canton. Next to the city's main gate lot is the private Groves lot. Additional lots are on the east side of Highway 19. Find RV parking north of 64 on Flea Market Road, on Winn Road west of Highway 19, in the city lots through the west gate, and at Old Mill Marketplace, on Highway 64 west of The Mountain.

BEST SHOPPING
The biggest crowds and liveliest shopping are in moderate weather, especially fall and spring. Summer heat and dead-of-winter cold decreases shoppers and vendors, but Trade Days veterans say that's when bargaining is best.

Not all vendors may be open on Thursday. Crowds are smaller on Sunday, but plum merchandise may already have been snapped up. Sellers may be more eager to cut a deal on Sunday afternoon.

CASH OR CREDIT
Sellers of expensive items and vendors in permanent shops are most likely to accept credit cards. Small vendors generally prefer cash. If you intend to haggle, carry greenbacks.

TAKE THE KIDS AND PETS?
First Monday is very friendly and family-oriented. But it's a rare child younger than 10 who can stand up to a long day of shopping. Heat, crowds and boredom may exhaust children and set off tantrums. If you bring the kids, a reclining stroller for the youngest is a mercy. Be certain that children are rested before you arrive, give them plenty of fluids, plan a shorter shopping day and be patient.

Pets aren't allowed on First Monday grounds, but a fair number of dogs are there. Some are purchases from Dog Town (an animal sales area just east of the intersection of highways 19 and 64). Others are pets of shoppers or RVers, who bring them despite the rule. Smaller ones ride in shoppers' carts, and a few occupy carriers. Those on a leash must dodge strangers' feet and are harried by the torrent of unfamiliar sights and sounds.

HAVE A PROBLEM?
If you're lost, sick or have a question, hail one of the eight-to-12 First Monday staffers circulating afoot or in golf carts. You'll know them by their red polo shirts bearing the Trade Days globe logo.

Or, call a cop. Canton police have a substation just south of pavilions 4000 and 4500.

WHAT'S THERE
• The main grounds – First Monday Park – encompass about 200 acres. They contain 13 pavilions, three walkway shopping venues, the Canton Civic Center, more than a half-dozen stand-alone buildings containing shops, two venues at Turner's East Gate, flea-market-style shopping in unreserved and reserved areas, and many food vendors.

• Most outdoor shopping is in unreserved and reserved areas in the northwest corner of First Monday Park. Pavilions sprawl through the center of the park.

• Food is widely available, but a concentration of vendors occupies the south end of Pavilion 4500.

• Indoor restrooms are in eight freestanding buildings on the grounds. The civic center also has public restrooms.

ACCESS
There are four gates to First Monday Park.

• Main gate: (also called the Original Gate). On the south side of Trade Days, north of Highway 64 on Groves Street in downtown Canton.

• North gate: West of Highway 19 on Winn Road, just south of the new Canton Marketplace. Vehicle access.

• West gate: On FM 859. Access to city RV and automobile parking.

• East gate: Pedestrian entrance on east side of Highway 19 near Trade Days Original pavilions 1 and 2.

OUTSIDE THE PARK
• The Mountain shopping, dining and lodging complex and adjacent Old Mill Marketplace shopping pavilions are just east of Highway 19, on the north side of Highway 64. The Mountain rambles uphill to FM 17. RV parking is available. Open during Trade Days.

• Canton Marketplace opened this fall north of the main grounds. Vendors in the warehouse-style building sell art, home furnishings, crafts and snacks. Open during Trade Days.

• Courthouse square and surrounding shops are on the south side of Highway 64 via Buffalo or Capitol streets.

• Dog Town (also called Dog Alley) is across Highway 64 from The Mountain. Open during Trade Days.

• A number of stores front Highway 19 on its east side, part of the shopping sprawl Trade Days has inspired.

WHAT TO WEAR, TAKE
• Wear comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes.

• Wear clothes suitable to the weather; layers work. Pavilions aren't air-conditioned, but the Canton Civic Center and some stand-alone buildings are, and they may feel chilly.

• In summer, wear a hat. Shade is scarce.

• Protect children in strollers or wagons from the sun. Apply sunscreen or dress them in sun-blocking clothes.

• Carry toilet paper. By afternoon on crowded days, restrooms may be out. Pre-moistened towelettes for your hands are a bonus at portable potties.

• If you're looking for something to fit a specific spot at home, take measurements with you. Returns or refunds may not be available.

MONEY MATTERS
• Set your budget and stick to it.

• If you plan to haggle, carry small bills.

• Take cash or checks. (Food vendors don't take checks.) Credit cards aren't accepted everywhere. Find ATMs in the civic center, and Trade Center I and Arbor 2 pavilions.

LOADING UP
• Have a way to carry purchases. A backpack works for light shoppers. Otherwise, rent a cart or wagon, or bring one.

• If you buy a large or heavy item, ask the vendor to hold it until you're ready to leave. For the biggest items, buyers can obtain a pass at a gate and bring their vehicle onto market grounds for pickup.

• Arms full? Return to your car and lock packages in the trunk. Break-ins are not a problem, Canton police say.

• Go early on the first day. (Not all vendors are open on Thursday; the real rush starts Friday.) The deeper into the weekend, the more things are picked over.

• If it's one of a kind and you want it, buy it. It may be gone if you return later.

WITH A GROUP
• Set a place and time to meet if you become separated.

• If you're with children, have a meeting place and time. Tell them to contact a police officer or a red-shirted Trade Days staff member if they become lost.

CHALLENGES
• Dog Town (also called Dog Alley), where puppies and farm animals are sold, may upset tender hearts. Other visitors may find a furry or feathered friend. (On a recent Saturday, some dogs in a dusty pen had no water, and one puppy was pitifully thin. Some pups nearby appeared to be well-treated.)

• Rows among outdoor vendors aren't clearly or consistently marked. Navigate by landmarks.

ATTENTION, SHOPPERS
• Lemonade at the stands with the upside down sign is freshly made to taste with real lemons. (Request less sugar, if you want.) Refills are half-price.

• Be imaginative. Think of alternate uses for an item. For example, a toolbox might make a kitschy magazine rack.

WHERE'S THE CAR?
• Make a note of where you park. Can't find your car? Ask a red-shirted staffer for help.

• Parking in city lots (by west and main gates) helps local service groups, which get a share of proceeds for working the entrance.

GETTING THROUGH
• Take a timeout. One shopping pair brings a cooler in the car filled with healthful snacks. "It forces us to break and unload [purchases]," says Pam Vreeland of Jenks, Okla.

• Walk to the side of Trade Days opposite where your vehicle is parked. Then shop your way back. You're near your car when you're most weary and laden.

• There are few places to sit, but don't lug a chair. Sit on a curb or the ground.

• In hot weather, drink plenty of fluids.

• Overheated? Retreat to the air-conditioned civic center or Canton Marketplace (via trolley from main gate; return costs $1).

THE RIGHT PRICE
• People-watching is a kick, and it's free.

• A city-operated, free tram links hotels at Interstate 20 and Highway 19 with First Monday Park.

YOU AREN'T ALONE
• Be patient. You came knowing it would be crowded with people and carts.

• Be polite.

• If buildings are jammed, shop the vendors outside until crowds lighten.

• Shoppers have the right of way, but after about 3 p.m. each day, look both ways before crossing a major path. Vehicles with grounds passes are coming in to pick up larger items.

• Traffic on Highway 19 is very heavy at closing time. Choose an alternate route, or linger in town for dinner while the jam untangles.

Vendors on the main grounds of First Monday Trade Days close at 6 p.m. Some shops around the county courthouse stay open until 8 p.m., primarily on Saturday during Trade Days. Sure to be open until 10 p.m. or later are the dozens of stores in The Mountain, a friendly, Old West-themed shopping, informal dining and lodging area. During Trade Days, quilt auctions are held Friday and Saturday evenings, and free entertainment (usually country music and gospel) is presented on the Saturday Night Showcase stage by the main entrance.

WHERE TO EAT OFF SITE
Eateries repeatedly recommended by locals and shoppers:

• Dairy Palace – on Highway 19 just south of Interstate 20. Hamburgers, Blue Bell ice cream and crowds. Contact: 903-567-4875.

• Jewel's – just west of Highway 19 on westbound I-20 access road. Authentic American diner, honey. Chicken fried steak and bustling service. Expect crowds. Contact: 903-567-4440.

• Circle E Steakhouse – 1350 S. Buffalo. Well-prepared beef, generous servings, genial service. Have a fridge in your RV or a cooler? Circle E also is a meat market. Contact: 903-567-1990.

• Ochoa's Cafe – 305 E. Dallas St. (Highway 64). Homemade tamales and fresh, chunky guacamole. Simple surroundings, helpful staff. Contact: 903-567-3373.

• Backwoods Bar-B-Q – 630 W. Highway 243. Just what you want in East Texas barbecue: fresh, lean, flavorful. Also sells in Pavilion 4500 on Trade Days grounds. Contact: 903-567-6253.

• Ranchero Restaurant – north side of I-20 access road at Highway 19. Mexican and American buffet. Bread pudding, to boot. Contact: 903-567-5719.

• Sisters Cafe – 230 S. Highway 243. A favorite for breakfast or chicken fried steak. Contact: 903-567-6241.

• Tea Room on the Square – 131 S. Buffalo St. Sandwiches, soups. Contact: 903-567-6221.

• First Monday Trade Days, 903-567-6556; www.firstmondaycanton.com. City's site; includes lodging contacts.

• Canton Trade Days, www.cantontradedays.com. Vendor list, tips, market dates, coupons, shop-by-categories feature.

• Old Mill Marketplace, 903-567-5445; www.oldmillmarketplace.com. Hundred-acre complex on the north side of Highway 64 across from Dog Town, two blocks from downtown Canton. Site has six pavilions and The Village, which includes one pavilion and nine buildings containing shops. The complex and adjacent Mountain share an estimated 500 to 600 vendors. Open during Trade Days.

• The Mountain, 903-567-5445; www.cantonmountain.com or www.discoverthemountain.com. Old West-themed complex on a hillside between Highway 64 and FM 17. Offers shops, food, entertainment and 25 to 30 cabins and casual B&Bs. Open during Trade Days.