Dog Day Flea Market is in Ardmore, Tennessee, 1 mile over the stateline. Driving north on I-65, the flea market is off Exit 1, the first one in Tennessee.
Today, Dog Day Flea Market is a big collection of tables and tents full of antiques, collectibles and junk. But the flea market started in the 1940s as a place for hunters to get together and trade hunting dogs, hence the name "Dog Day." That history is preserved by the tradition of bringing along your dog to the flea market. Everywhere you look, people have their dogs with them, and there are even opportunities to buy dogs at the market. This is the place to go in the area if you're looking to buy or sell a dog or litter of puppies.
The dogs are not the only animals at the flea market. There's a whole section of the market devoted to all kinds of animals where you can find chickens, ducks, rabbits and even pigs.
Let your imagination run wild, dream up anything, and you can probably find that anything at this flea market. Old things, new things, one-of-a-kind things, handmade things...it's all here. You can spend hours rummaging and talking, as there is plenty of stuff to look at and plenty of people to talk to. Here you'll see two old friends, one wearing an Alabama Crimson Tide hat and one wearing a Tennessee Volunteers hat, sitting on the back of a pickup truck talking about the upcoming football season and the neat old church bell they found in a barn last week. They'll haggle with you and they'll tell you all about the antiques and collectibles at their table, where they found them, how they got them, how old they think they are.
"I got a ten dollar bill right here," a man tells a vendor. He wants an antique knife he found buried deep in a box. Make them your best offer and walk away with your treasure.
You'll even find fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers, depending on the season. In the summertime, local farmers offer watermelons, tomatoes and corn, among many other things. In the fall you can find locally grown pumpkins.
This flea market is a yard sale, antique store, art gallery, farmers market, specialty shop and farm all rolled into one. Walk along the path and you'll go from homegrown veggies to handmade leather saddles to brand new hats and sunglasses to decades-old baseball cards to antique farm tools in a matter of a few minutes.
There's something for everyone here, and chances are pretty good you'll find something you can't live without and can't find anywhere else. Chances are great that something will be affordable. For those who love to dig and love a good bargain, you can't beat Dog Day Flea Market.
The Flea Market is open on Sundays and Mondays, and they get started as early at 5 a.m. Be sure if you're going in the summertime you wear shorts and sunscreen, because we all know how hot a southern summer day can be. Tennis shoes are best because the path is gravel and dirt and can be bumpy and uneven. Bring your cash (they don't take debit cards) and something to carry your treasures in, and get ready to rummage!
