THE WEEKEND CITY IN THE CITY

Woodall's Publication | Sunny Destinations

Are you seeking the excitement of bronco-busting rodeos, heart-thumping screams of the world’s mile-long Hypercoaster or the refinement of world class museums and the nationally-ranked Fort Worth Zoo.  Are you looking for the Broadway lights of future country stage stars or just simply a flea market weekend?  Then you need look no further than Trader’s Village in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Grand Prairie is known as the heart of all there is to do in the Texas Metroplex! 

Little did Alexander Dechman, 1863, realize what his trade for a broken down wagon and $200 in Confederate money would buy.  He became a founding father of what is now the center of a thriving Texas Metroplex in the Dallas -- Fort Worth area.  The 239 acres were but a small stop on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1876 as the name changed from Dechman to Grand Prairie in order to reflect its open plains  Times have changed for Grand Prairie from a small trading post, its first telephone in 1900 and paved streets of the 1920’s.  Grand Prairie in the past 138 years has slowly been encircled by the surrounding cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. 

Known as the Weekend City in the City, Trader’s Village of Grand Prairie has so much to offer the bargain hunter RVer.  Centrally located between the interstate highways of I-20 and I-30, its location gives access to city glamour without the hassles of downtown congestion with easy access to thrill rides and city lights. Trader’s Village is a 106-acre bargain hunter’s paradise that was established in 1973 in Grand Prairie.  “Basically the Village is laid out like a city grid, starting on the far side of the market north to south having streets A through F; west to east you have streets 1 through 21,” states Allen Hughes, Director of Marketing.  “The vendors types are at random if you’re looking for a specific item.  The first nine streets were the original market.  We have expanded with several large expo (covered) buildings all color coded (red, blue, green and brown) each having approximately 140,000 square feet.” 

With well over 1,800 dealers, 33 food outlets, 20 mobile beverage carts, a theme park with rides for the young and 106 acres of shopping which features every thing from antiques to oddities.  It is the largest market in the Southwest United States with well over 60,000 plus treasure hunters every weekend.

“An RVer comes here for several reasons.  First he comes here for location.  We are
well located in the Dallas – Fort Worth area Metroplex.  The Village is only 30 to 35 minutes from just about anything like Six Flags, the Stockyards, and the Dallas Cowboy Stadium.  We have easy access to everything.  A lot of RVers schedule their stays here just to come and enjoy the market,” continued Hughes.

Trader’s Village is open year round and has annual scheduled events that lend excitement to its nearly three million visitors to the Village a year.  The American Indian National Championship Pow-Wow, Prairie Dog Chili Cook Off, Championship BBQ Cook Off, Big Cats of the World, Lowrider Car Show, Amateur Boxing Tournaments, Cajun Festival and the Mountain Man Weekend are just a few of the highlights that occur at Trader’s Village throughout the year. 

The 24th Annual Cowtown CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) Chili Cook Off was held this year with 526 cook-offs with 15,900 chilis judged.  Now that’s a lot of hot sauce.    The Prairie Dog Chili Cook Off and The World Championship of Pickled Quail Egg Eating are held in April.  This is a truly colorful Texan event with crowds of some 80,000 saluting the official state dish, chili.

The tang of barbeque sauce fills the air in October at Trader’s Village as it host the largest BBQ Cook Off in Texas.  Judging some 600 samples from over 100 cookers in a two-day competition where thousands of dollars in prize money attract BBQ cooks from across Texas and beyond.  

Don’t let the crowds turn you away from the weekends for it is spacious and the Trader’s Village Campground is off to the side of this mass shopping complex.  It has the convenience of an in-ground pool, bath and laundry facilities, 165 full hook ups at its 202 paved camp sites (60 of which are pull through), and an onsite barber / hair salon. They are Internet friendly with a modem hookup at their general store to receive one’s e-mail.    The cost is reasonable, the highest spot being $23.95 per day.    The ratings of this camp facility are the highest:  Good Sam (10-10-9), Woodall’s (5 W’s).  The RV Park honors discounts from FMCA, Good Sam, AAA and TACO.

If you’re into tent camping, Trader’s Village offers this also.  “We have a tenting area.  During the summer we have some tent camping and they go to Six Flags normally.  We had three European youth groups who stayed here just this year,” stated Director Hughes.

If you get tired of the endless flea market on the weekend, the weekdays offer great adventures in local Grand Prairie.  The Palace of Wax and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (located at 601 E. Safari Parkway, call 972-263-2391) are two unique museums in one convenient location.  The wax museum offers over 200 life-like characters from Hollywood, history, horror, and fantasy.  While Ripley displays the bizarre oddities from around the globe, you even experience a walk through a Texas tornado. 

Grand Prairie itself offers 41 public parks covering 1,622 acres for bicycling and enjoyment.  The city’s Tangle Ridge Golf Club (phone: 972-237-8100) ranks 12th best in Texas by Golf Digest and 8th in the top 25 Public Golf Courses.   Joe Pool Lake (3401 Ragland Road)is a 7,500-acre lake offering excellent fishing, water sports activities and sandy beaches. 

For a day or evening of adventure and entertainment, one can stop by the Lone Star Park, Grand Prairie’s newest World–Class Horse Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Racing facility with its seven-level Grandstand, great restaurant and a 15-acre Family Fun Park.  This complex offers live musical entertainment that can be enjoyed without even placing a bet.

Just less than 35 minutes away in any direction one can discover pandas at the World Class Fort Worth Zoo (1981 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, call 817-871-7000), or enjoy a thrilling touchdown at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium (Irving, call 800-2-Irving for ticket information).  At Mesquite, the Rodeo Capital of Texas, one will find the exciting Mesquite Rodeo (Mesquite, call 972-285-0221) or enjoy shopping and dining in historic Fort Worth Stockyards as the cattle herd is ushered twice daily through the streets.  For the kids and family, rides and musicals are to be experienced at the 205-acre theme park Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington, call 800-342-4305) where the world’s only mile-long Hypercoaster now stands waiting.    Down town Dallas offers the historic Sixth Floor Museum (411 Elm Street, call 214-653-6657) where some 450,000 visitors view the street each year from the window where the fatal shot to Kennedy occurred or walk among the longhorns in the world’s largest bronze sculpture at Pioneer Plaza.   

If you want to experience movies, just in a few short minutes you can be at the Studios of Los Colinas where you’ll find Forest Gump and the Adams Family.  While there, one might snap a photo at Williams Square Plaza (Irving, Highway 114, call 972-869-9047) with the renowned sculpture of the Stallions of Los Colinas.  

For great evening entertainment with the future stars reserve a seat at the Johnnie High Country Revue.  This is the number one Country Music Show, where the now famous Lee Ann Rimes performed for seven years in over 400 shows. For reservations call 817-226-4400 located at 224 North Center Street, Arlington. 

One can’t go wrong by staying at Trader’s Village where the Weekend City in the City has so much to offer at a location that is the gateway to the exciting Texas Metroplex.   Trader’s Village is located on 2602 Mayfield Road, Grand Prairie, TX 75052 and can be contacted at 972-649-2331.  Call or view their website at http://www.tradersvillage.com for a complete schedule of yearly events.    Trader’s Village is popular so be sure to reserve your spot to discover the Texas Cities.