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Hillsville, Carroll County, Virginia is located within the Blue Ridge Mountain range of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through Carroll County.
The town's primary claim to fame is its Hillsville Flea Market (more properly known as the VFW Flea Market & Gun Show), which has been called the largest American flea market to the east of the Mississippi River. It is held twice a year; in 2004, the Labor Day show attracted 650,000 visitors, and the Memorial Day show attracted 250,000 visitors. Vendors and customers have arrived from as far away as Germany, Africa, and South Korea.
In 2004, there was a minor fracas when a booth selling Ku Klux Klan, White Power, and Neonazi memorabilia was within shouting distance of the Democratic Party booth.
Touring the By-Ways |
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There are many abandoned shacks in these rural areas.
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One especially creepy looking forgotten house off the side of the road.
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On March 14, 1912, local businessman Floyd Allen and his relatives exchanged somewhat over 50 shots with lawmen in a crowded courtroom; out of the 200 there that morning, five died and seven were wounded, including Allen. For his role in the shooting, he received the death penalty, and was electrocuted in 1913.
