Once a year, the Midtown fortress that is Saint Louis University lets down the drawbridge and invites the riffraff in, to paw through enough merchandise to make even the most die-hard shopaholic weep, in a tradition known as Gypsy Caravan. The flea market is a fundraiser for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and besides all the great deals to be had on everything from birdhouses to briefcases to an animated M&M candy telephone (no lie), it's a great place to catch up on your people-watching.
Below, snapshots of life at the Gypsy Caravan, including some bizarre items for sale and a string of Children Doing Things of Which Their Minders Are Unaware.