Outside City Limits: Canton, TX

Grab some juice boxes and pack those earplugs, ladies, because it’s time for a good ole fashioned family road trip! My husband and I love to do several “mini-getaways” during the year; and Texas is not lacking in abundance AND variety! Bluebonnet fields, mini-Western towns, drive-thu safaris, pre-historic caverns……the options are endless!

I’m not a native Texan but I’m working on earning my “spurs” if you will. We’ve checked off the Stockyards, the State Fair (Lord have mercy), and surely I get some points for giving birth here in the Lone Star State.  But I keep hearing about the “world famous” First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX, and felt like it had to be next on the bucket list. (Canton is a little over an hour outside of Collin County!) We’ve also passed by Yesterland Farm several times, so we decided to make a little trip of it! So off we went, with everything but the kitchen sink. Our departure did NOT lack the mandatory and completely inconvenient meltdown(s) while I was packing the car. Mandatory.

My husband and I love where we live, but when we get out of town, we like to GET OUT OF TOWN. We found an awesome little cabin through VRBO that was on a pond…on a dirt road…and it was perfect! Can I just insert a tip to always check VRBO wherever you are visiting? I find that they are just so convenient with kids, because there’s typically a multiple rooms, a washer/dryer, and kitchen with a fridge for the ever-important MILK. (Don’t ya’ll feel like trying to plan to take/keep any type of milk is like carrying around nuclear bomb?…Lord, there’s so much planning that goes into that liquid gold.) Anyway, our cabin was perfect and even had a huge, dark, walk-in closet that housed the pack ‘n play perfectly. (If you’re interested in staying closer to town, I did find an awesome place called Mill Creek Ranch Resort that had lots of activities, playground,etc.)

The evening we arrived, we headed downtown to check it out since we’d never been. Canton has most darling town square with shops and restaurants situated around the courthouse! We ate at Buttermilk’s, and LISTEN. If the name doesn’t get you in the door, the fried catfish and blackberry cobbler will. It was absolutely DELICIOUS…if you visit Canton, this is a must!

The next day, I couldn’t contain my excitement about First Monday Trade Days. Let me clear the confusion and tell you that it actually takes place the first Thursday-Sunday of every month. (Monday is not involved; I have no idea where the name came from.) I did a little research about going with kids, and there wasn’t much, but I was happily surprised to find this post on the Dallas Moms Blog from 2011!

We had an absolute blast! This place is HUGE. Like 400 acres. That’s half the size of my husband’s hometown. We tried to have a strategy and shop “The Arbors” and Pavilions first, which are the covered buildings that house mostly pre-made gifts/crafts/clothes/decor. Then we headed out to the fields where the antiques and “junk” were. It was endless! We were there all day and there were STILL areas and pavilions that we didn’t make it to! We LOVED looking at everything. There is SO MUCH variety that you could completely outfit your home, pick up a project piece, or buy the perfect gift for every single person in your family.

The Christmas stuff made me want to start decorating IMMEDIATELY when I got home!

Let me PAUSE here and tell you a funny story. So my child is two years old and consistently takes two-ish-hour naps. He’s an only child, so most days, these actually still happen in his CRIB. (I hear the story is different with #2.)  I knew that we’d want to stay at Trade Days ALL day, and our cabin was about a 25-minute drive. SO, I thought I was going to be Miss Clever and black out our SUV by taping trash bags to the windows. That part really did work; it was an optimal napping environment. I read to the Little Mister, laid him on his nap mat, and climbed up front with the hubby to also get a little shuteye. It sounded like the perfect plan, right?

Greyson wasn’t having much of it at first, but I’m a believer in cry-it-out….so I let him…until we both got a whiff of something. That’s right, nothing like an untimely poop, so after re-diapering, we started the process all over again. This time, Daddy stayed in the back with him until he fell asleep. The plan finally executed and earned us about an hour nap and a fresh Round 2 at Trade Days!

This was my first time to go, so perhaps as I become a more “seasoned trade-day-er”, I’ll have better tips. But for now, here are my takeaways:

• This IS a family-friendly event. It’s crowded, but so is the Fair. There were plenty of fun things that Greyson was interested in and played with.
• That being said–it’s family friendly, but if you’re REALLY going to SHOP, leave the kids at home! I probably would’ve come home with a truckload if I would’ve had the time to really focus on shopping.
• If you bring the little ones: There was every type of stroller/apparatus, so bring whatever you like best. It IS super crowded, so we just took the umbrella stroller and it was easy to maneuver the crowds. BUT, if your LO is a stroller napper, a big stroller would be a great idea so you could stay longer! (And avoid the trash bags in your windows like me.)
• The food is like Fair food! Corn dogs, funnel cakes, fried goodies, etc. It was amazing!
• Parking is $5 and admission is free. I don’t have any huge tips on parking; you’re gonna be doing a lot of walking no matter what. We parked at the East Gate which was right beside The Arbors. Here’s a map for your reference.

The next day we headed to Yesterland Farm! This place is absolutely adorable; it’s the perfect place for a whole day of family fun for toddlers to teenagers! (Coincidentally, we’ve gone back-to-back weekends!)

There are almost a dozen amusement rides, including a train ride, pony rides, and a tractor ride through the woods! Several of these are even toddler friendly. Other activities include a rock wall, giant slide, gem mining, pig races, petting zoo, rubber duck races, playground, mini-Western town, and even a CANNON you shoot apples out of. (You’re welcome, hubby.) I mean…what more could you ask for?! I’ll stop talking and show you some pics!

We went during their Fall Festival, so of course everything was outfitted in pumpkins galore! Ladies…look no further for your next family pumpkin patch picture! This is only a couple of MANY darling photo oops!

We also participated in the three-acre Corn Maze. I admit, there was a moment when this was looking bleak, but we eventually made it out. Apparently Greyson had much more confidence in his Dad.

If you haven’t noticed, food plays plays an imperative role in our family trips, and Yesterland Farm did not disappoint. From the Burger Bin, to smoked barbecue, to fresh-squeezed lemonade, everybody was happy!

Our tradition is to purchase a Christmas ornament from each of our “getaways”, and the Dixie Mercantile even had Yesterland Farm ornaments. We will most definitely cherish our memories at Yesterland Farm!

The Fall Festival has ended, but they open back up November 25th for Christmas Playland, including Christmas tree sales, photos with Santa, and amusement rides! In the Spring, they’ll host “Wildflower Weekends” with spring flowers, Easter egg hunts, photo props, bunnies, and more! They even host private events and allow you to rent the rides!

Okay-after all this “family fun”…..Mama’s gonna need a moment. So I say let Dad take the kids for ice cream and drop you off at the mother ship called Paul Michael Company. Yes, please, and thank you. This place has everything to decorate your home. Of course, right now, they are ALL ready for Christmas. I love that you can even pick out your ribbon and accessories and they’ll put together a wreath for you….because ain’t nobody got time for that!

I’d love to go back in the summer and hit up Splash Kingdom and Savannah Winery and Bistro! Canton clearly has a lot to offer and should definitely be on your list for a fun, family getaway!