One of the best free shows east of the Mississippi opened this morning in Hillsville. The 43rd annual Labor Day Gun Show and Flea Market is off to one of its best starts in years. Over 500,000 visitors are expected to flood the tiny town in Carroll County over the next four days. Several thousand vendors located in five main venues have brought everything from treasures to trash for sale. If you can’t find it in Hillsville this weekend, you can probably get along without it.

The overwhelming themes though are guns and food. Both are in plentiful supply. The smell of fried onions and roasting meats permeate the air, and the sight of guns is everywhere.

The number of mannequins around is kind of creepy. This year also features a few side show animals to boot.

The best thing though is the people watching. It doesn’t get any better than here.

The following information and links are what I’ve managed to gather so far. If I come up with any more, I will add them to this post, so you may wish to check back as we get closer to Labor Day.

Dates and Times: Friday, September 3, 2010, thru Monday, September 6, 8:00am – 6:00PM

The main sponsor of the festival is VFW Post 115 (276-728-2911.) Their Flea Market manager is Bill Davis (276-728-5237.) The Gun Show Manager is Melvin Webb (276-728-9810.) Online reservations may be made at cridge1942@comcast.net

Food vendors should contact the Carroll County Health Department (276-728-2166.)

Hundley Flea Market, located directly across the street from the VFW, can be reached by calling 800-672-8093.

Bowman’s Festival Market is located 4 blocks from the VFW site. They may be reached at the following numbers: (276-728-2340), (276-728-4340), or (276-728-2339.)

Click here for info on the The Riley Horne Lot.

The official website for the town, which includes a number of useful links, is www.townofhillsville.com

This information is provided by the Hillsville Chamber of Commerce:
Rules & Regulations:

All vendors are required to have a vendor’s license. The license can be purchased from the person you rent your space from or from the Town of Hillsville office. The cost is based on the size of your space.
Food vendor must register with the Carroll County Health Department. (276-730-3180). Food licenses will be issued upon the completion of their inspection and if they are food certified. All food license must pay an extra $10 on their vendor’s license.
All vendors are responsible for the collection of the Virginia Sales Tax (5%). Forms will be provided by the Town of Hillsville to vendors for this purpose.
All food vendors must collect the local meal tax and pay to the Town of Hillsville by the end of the first month after the event.
Vendor licenses allows them to sell from 7 a.m. Friday to 6 p.m on Monday. Anyone selling before 7 a.m. on Friday are subject to a fine. All merchandise must be keep covered until 7 a.m. on Friday.

I may be assisting one of the food vendors at the Hundley Market, so I hope to see you there.

If it’s Memorial Day, then it’s flea market time in Hillsville. Twice each year, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, the entire town of Hillsville turns into a huge flea market. Upwards of 500,000 people are expected for this year’s unofficial kick-off to summer.

Vendors from the professional circuit, collectors, and local crafters join together for four days to offer fun, food, and bargains galore. Despite predictions of huge crowds, on Saturday there seemed to be almost as many vendors as there were patrons.

There were Brahma bull rides and blooming onions.

There were kids and ladies in hats. And ladies with guns.

It’s a carnival, it’s a sideshow, it’s a bit of Americana. If you hurry, you still have time to make one of the best free shows around.

Woodcarver Tom Brannock

Some of Tom's carvings including the "whimadilly"

Troubador John Allen from Mt. Holly, NC

Note: If you arrived on this page looking for information on the Labor Day flea market, go to my post dated 8/26/2010. That post contains most of the phone numbers and information vendors will need for future markets.