Sunday, September 16, 2012

Brimfield- September, 2012. Check.

That's one check on my bucket list. 
Finally went to Brimfield!
What is Brimfield?
According to www.TheBrimfieldshow.com:


"The Brimfield Antiques Show began in the 1950's and has become the largest and best-known outdoor antiques show in the country. Running along Rt. 20 for a distance of perhaps a half-mile and perhaps 500' or more, back on each side of the highway, the Brimfield Show is a huge,  vast undertaking, filled with thousands of dealers dealers over the course of the week, selling everything from the finest antiques to 'yard junk', requiring a day or two to see everything there is to see. Food courts and rest facilities abound, and the Shows are filled with hidden treasures and the 'right kind of people', creating a safe and fun environment for everyone, children included. Shows are patrolled by uniformed and undercover police, and rarely is there any trouble of any kind.Brimfield is a quaint, picturesque rural New England town, home to 3,000 residents.  Founded in 1731, (the year before George Washington was born), the town's 35 square miles are surrounded by apple orchards, horse farms, and wooded hills in an area known as the Pioneer Valley, and Foothills of the Berkshires.
During show-times, the town's population balloons to over 250,000 visitors and over 5,000 dealers for the 6 days the Show operates.   The Show has a carnival-like atmosphere, appropriate for all ages, where good vibes prevail, (and few, if any problems ever present themselves).
Dealers come from all over the world as do visitors. From millionaire world-famous rock stars and movie stars to the local resident from down the street, the Show is a Mecca for serious and casual collectors of all kinds of antiques.  A few of the Fields require an entrance fee on the initial opening, usually $5.00-10.00, which tends to be waived later in the day.  Most fields do not have any entrance fee, and generally, you can move freely from field to field.
There is almost always plenty of parking available, at $6.00 - 8.00 in the middle of town, a bargain in itself.  Also, in the middle of the show, the New England Motel hosts the largest and most popular food court  with a wide variety of food booths to satisfy every taste. Additionally, food carts and booths appear throughout various locations and the wide variety of available foods has become a draw in it's own right.
The Brimfield shows operate three times a year during May, July and September and are open for a six day period begining on a Tuesday and ending on a Sunday.  Some operators open all days while others choose to open for just a few days during this period."

Now?
Going to Brimfield is on my "must do every September list!"
And whom else could I go with but my partner in crime-
Yes, my sister!
We have been talking about going to Brimfield for years and when we finally did it?
We couldn't stop!
The first day we walked for eleven hours....
No lie.
We would slow down and then run into more treasures. We did stop mid day for a beer though as evidenced above.

Tomorrow, I will break it down and reveal my haul!
Here is one item to whet your whistle!
An awesome, sage green kitchen scale. Love the crisp red numbers.  $23