Out-of-towners literally take over the tiny East Lewis County community of Packwood twice each year.
On Memorial and Labor Day weekends, Packwood is transformed into a metropolis of tents, booths, trailers and parked cars for the Packwood Flea Mart.
Motorists using U.S. Highway 12 can count on it being lined with booths and pedestrians. It’s not unusual for the population to swell to 10,000 just for the day.
Visitors can purchase rare or unusual finds from the vendors, or easily find ordinary yard-sale fare such as picture frames and garden tools. Lunch can be anything from corn dogs or elephant ears to fried zucchini.
The population in Packwood can swell to 10,000 during its twice-a-year flea mart on Memorial and Labor Day weekends. Photo by The Chronicle.
Rooms in the several motels in and around Packwood are often hard to come by.
The Packwood events aren’t organized by a single organizing body. Tradition has dictated that private vendors rent spaces from local property owners and set up shop for the long weekend.
For information about the Packwood flea markets, contact the Destination Packwood Association at dpa@lewiscounty.com or go to its Web site at www.destinationpackwood.com.
A herd of elk in Packwood find the town to their liking. The area is native territory for the animals. Audio slideshow by Mike Salsbury, The Chronicle.