Gypsy Caravan to Stop at UMSL

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Instead of doing the cliché this Memorial Day, lounging by the pool or barbequing with neighbors, head on over to meet some gypsies stopping by St. Louis for the day.

On May 25 the Saint Louis Symphony Volunteer Association is hosting the 37th annual Gypsy Caravan at the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. 

This is no small event. A city within a city will be created for up to 25,000 shoppers who will descend upon the scene to wind their way through the booths of over 300 vendors from across the country. 

 The vendors may not actually be gypsies, but they have earned the nickname.  Most of the vendors are people who travel around the country in the style of gypsies to sell their wares from the back of trucks and in a variety of sales.  This year, the caravan includes vendors from 13 different states and some coming from as far as Florida and Montana.

Shoppers' goals at the Gypsy Caravan are simple; find bargains and spot the unique treasures. There is no way any St. Louis mall can match the variety of items the caravan has to offer.  Antiques, collectibles, jewelry, furniture, fashions and crafts are just highlights of some of the goods offered. Over the past few years the caravan has earned praise as the best flea market in the Midwest for its cross of goods that make it something of an art fair and an antique mall.  Whether you leave with a bejeweled birdcage, a U-Haul of furniture or just a new shirt, something is bound to catch your eye with so much promised variety.

Rain, shine, or St. Louis humidity, the event will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, May 25. Past shoppers recommend going early in the morning to find the best steals if you are insistent on finding true treasures.  Shopping early has an added price however.  From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. admission is $20.  If you are more laid back and choose to pursue a relaxed Memorial Day plan, head over at any point of the day and also take advantage of the food vendors and street entertainers who will be in attendance as well. After 9 a.m. admission is only $5.

The proceeds from this admission charge benefit the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony's education and community programs that reach out to thousands of young people each year. 



So stop by the Gypsy Caravan at the UMSL campus on May 25 and support the Symphony because you really never know when you may actually need a birdcage or if an antique garden gnome is just what your living room needs. 


To find out more visit http://www.slso.org/gypsycaravan/ for details.

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I have updated this story, check out the gallery for photos of the "treasures" I discovered!