2021 Visit Meridian Visitors Guide

16 17 VISITMERIDIAN.COM Blocks away, on the other side of the railroad tracks, Family Flea Market claims to be the largest indoor flea market in East Mississippi and West Alabama that’s open year-round. It rambles through 52,000 square feet in three connected buildings, with more than 200 vendors. In the bustling retail area along Poplar Springs Drive/Highway 493 in north Meridian, The Atrium Mini Mall houses a unique business model. It features a collection of upscale mini-boutiques selling furniture, clothing, jewelry, artwork, and lots more. You’ll have to do some browsing to find the antiques among the new merchandise. Trust us: You won’t mind a bit. MAKE IT A WEEKEND Start with the made- in-Mississippi items, some with repurposed components, at Crooked Letter. Warning: You’ll be saying, “Oooh, gotta have it!” A lot. Just a block away, The Hulett offers several floors of unusual furniture and other antiques. Lunch at Harvest Grill will energize you for spending the next day and a half happily wandering flea markets and vintage shops all over town, and just north of Meridian in Marion. Also, multiple estate sales happen most weekends; check EstateSales.net. Cap off the day with a spectacular meal experience at Amore. Be sure to try one of the specialty cocktails. And definitely make time for Weidmann’s Sunday Jazz Brunch, an indulgence you’ll rhapsodize about for months. Simmons-Wright General Store: This still-operating 1884-vintage general store, a few minutes east of Meridian on US 11 and 80, is also an antiques shop, a museum, and a restaurant. It’s definitely worth a special trip. 502 Miles of Antiques Begin in Meridian Four days and 502 miles of antiques begin in Meridian every May. On the Thursday through Sunday after Mother’s Day, the city is the southern end of the US 11 Antique Alley & Yard Sale, which stretches northeast along the venerable highway all the way to Bristol, Virginia. Communities along the route put on festivals and other events. You’ll find treasures in yard and garage sales as well as antiques shops. And US 11 itself, created in the 1920s, qualifies as an antique. Check out the historic buildings and small-town charm left behind when most of the traffic rushed to the interstates. Plan your day’s campaign over a perfect cup of coffee or tea at PJ’s Coffee. While you’re there, you really should have a fresh-baked treat, too. Then hunt for antiques among the 40-plus vendors at The Atrium Mini Mall. Refuel with lunch at Cater’s Market. After that, it’s time to search the many nooks and crannies of 45 Flea Market and Antiques for, well, whatever strikes your fancy. When you see the sign on the 1930s Chevrolet out front, you’ve found the place. 1 - DAY STAY