Goods & Services

Best Flea Market

Gypsy Caravan

Each Memorial Day since 1973, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Volunteer Association has hosted one of the largest flea markets in the Midwest. This year's Gypsy Caravan brought more than 350 vendors selling sundry bric-a-brac — including T-shirts, antiques, sports memorabilia, quilts and birdhouses — from as far away as Texas, Florida and Louisiana. But just as rewarding as the bargains to be found at the Gypsy Caravan is knowing that the $5 entrance fee ($20 for early-bird shoppers) goes to support the symphony. This year nearly 30,000 visitors paid more than $125,000 to attend the flea market. Over the course of its 35-year history, the Gypsy Caravan has become the orchestra's biggest fundraising event, bringing in more than $3 million to date.