"Brimfield, a Massachusetts town of some 3,000 people, slumbers for eleven months of the year. Then, for a week in May, July, and September, Rip van Winkle awakes and the town explodes. The Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Shows, the largest outdoor market of its kind in the country, spring up on the fields along Route 20, the town’s main street. The faithful arrive early, often before dawn, waiting patiently for the gates to open. Sun, rain, cold, heat, and mud—nothing will deter them. (One couple actually got married at the gates at 5:45 a.m., before the shows opened, and spent their first day of married life inside.) There is something close to a stampede when they are finally let in. A photograph catches an image of a woman whose feet are literally off the ground, airborne, winging her way to what? Where do they come from? What are they looking for? And why Brimfield?
......
For all but three weeks of the year, the flat fields along each side of Route 20 in Brimfield lie fallow and vacant. Then, as spring eases into summer when the grass is thick and verdant and the trees heavy with leaf and blossom, the Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Shows perform their annual renaissance.
Long columns of trucks, vans, and cars rumble into the small town through the night. They fan out over the green acres and draw up at their designated sites. The ancient cycle of plowing, planting, reaping, and rearing cattle is forgotten as the largest alfresco antiques and collectibles market in the country begins to take shape. Tents are planted, signs sprout, and stalls take root. Doors are flung open. The dealers tumble out shouting greetings to each other as they set up their booths and unload their vehicles....."
Taken from
Brimfield
by Angelo Dounoucos and John de St. Jorre
It was only two years ago that I learned about the massive Brimfield flea market from
Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining
. Upon reading about Brimfield, I was instantly intrigued and asked my dad if he could take me. It has become a tradition for us and we now look forward to it months in advance. There are many treasures hidden among the 6,000 vendors at Brimfield. It takes multiple days to comb through everything, but it is well worth it. Some of last year's treasures included a few vintage Lilly Pulitzer items, a lovely pearl necklace, and a beautiful set of pens. I have also acquired quite the collection of vintage Cosmopolitan magazines- my favorite one with Marilyn Monroe on the cover. The thought that the Brimfield starts in less than a month (July 13) is very exciting and I can't wait to see what treasures I come across this year.
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