Ninth annual Magnetic Hill Flea Market takes place this weekend.

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This weekend (July 3-6) is a great time to be a flea market shopper in Metro Moncton, because one of the largest flea markets in Atlantic Canada will be taking place right in our backyard.

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The ninth annual Magnetic Hill Flea Market will be at the Magnetic Hill concert site for those four days. The event will feature over 400 vendors selling everything from antiques to car parts.

"(It's) like going to 400 garage sales in one spot," says event promoter Greg Turner. "You could go out every Saturday morning all summer and never get to 400 (garage sales)."

For many flea market-goers the fun is in the hunt to find the best stuff, and the joy of finding a "treasure."

"They never know what they are going to find," says Turner. There's also a food court with a variety of different foods including everyone's summer favourite, barbecues.

"It's like a big country fair," says Turner. The flea market opens Thursday evening (July 3), for what event organizers call the early bird preview and sale. For a $6 entrance fee, keen shoppers can get the first chance to look at all the goods for sale, and buy the best stuff. Early bird shoppers can then come back all weekend for free.

Turner expects the selection to be good. He says many of the vendors spend all winter collecting goods, or picking as it is called in antique and collector circles, so that they have a variety of unique item to sell.

The vendors come from all over the Atlantic provinces, as well as Quebec and Ontario. Turner also expects shoppers to come from as far away as Ontario. Turner says last year about 16,000 people attended the Magnetic Hill Flea Market and expects about the same number of people to show up this year.

Daily admission for Friday through Sunday is $3, as is daily parking on site for one vehicle. Shoppers are free to come and go all day. With all the other attractions nearby like the Magnetic Hill Zoo, Magic Mountain Water Park, the Wharf Village Shops, Magnetic Hill model Railroad and the Magnetic Hill phenomenon, it should be easy to spend an entire day in the area.

The flea market will be open 5 p.m. "" 10 p.m. on Thursday, 8 a.m. "" 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. "" 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information call 506-384-FLEA (3532), or e-mail oscar@nb.aibn.com.