The Brimfield Antique Show has the best antiques I’ve ever seen in the US, and that isn’t even a slight exaggeration! I’m excited to share what I learned so that YOUR visit can be spectacular, too!

This past month I had the privilege of going to New England with ladies from my Behind the Scenes group to shop at the Brimfield Antique show, and it was such a wonderful trip! First I’ll share everything you need to know about shopping the Brimfield show, and then I’ll share some more details about the what/why/and who behind the trip!

Tips for Navigating the Brimfield Antiques Flea Market:

This will be a quick overview of the most important details we learned while shopping the show to give you a good idea for planning your own trip!

How do I manage Parking at the market?

We found that parking at “Quaker Acres” and “Green Acres” were the best central locations. Both of these spots made it possible to reach all the fields! The charge (at least for September 2022) was $10/per car.

Make sure you consider the amounts for daily parking into your trip budget!

Something to note about the fields is that while they all start together along the same road, some of them go back quite a ways towards the woods!

How long does it take to shop the whole show?

That being said, I would say to plan on being at the sale for FIVE days if you’d like to see everything!

We had three shopping days and though I had big plans mapped out to make it through the entire place, I couldn’t do it.

I’d call myself a medium paced shopper, and at some parts I was even in “turbo mode”; really focused and making sure not to meander or socialize too much. But there was just too much to see!

By the end of the third day my eyes were starting to glaze over and I’d find myself getting lost among the booths. That was when I knew I was beat.

Sarah 0 – Brimfield 1. (Don’t worry, I’ll be back to see if I can even out the score.)

What to Bring to the Brimfield Antique Show:

Plan ahead and bring CASH. That was absolutely HUGE. Plan on not being able to do any shopping without cash. There are several ATMs throughout the place, but you’ll be better off and ahead of the game if you start out with cash in hand.

In addition to the basics like good walking shoes, a back pack or bag for carrying treasures, and your water bottle, you’ll also want to make sure you don’t forget your sunscreen! I say this from personal experience. Our first day was rainy and we stayed pretty well covered, but the second and third days were beautiful in the Fall sun… so beautiful in fact that I didn’t realize I was getting sun-burned until the end of the 2nd day when it started to itch.

Sarah 0 – Sun 1.

Favorite Vendors

I had a few vendors I really enjoyed and wanted to make sure to include here so you can visit them as well.

These are the ones I felt were well priced, well designed, managed well, willing to barter, etc!

• Vintage Retriever (Also on Facebook, Instagram)
• Vintage White Company
• Thorn Hill Home
• Sandstone Gardens (Also on Facebook)

I’d recommend not worrying about attending the gated sales areas, they charge extra and the goods didn’t seem to be any better.

What is the focus of the Brimfield Antique Show?

I would guess that each year is a little different, and that the seasons might even have some influence on the pieces that are showcased. This year you could tell that Vintage Clothing is becoming all the rage with the younger generation.

There were entire sections dedicated to more vintage children’s clothing than I’d ever seen in one place before!

What about food while you shop?

There are food trucks near the New England Motel and lots of good seating and live music across the street at the Brimfield Winery.  Also, the Apple Barn by Green Acres is good and has an ATM!

What are some other resources for the Brimfield Show?

This post by NewEngland.com is great, I second everything they said : 10 Tips for Surviving the Brimfield Antique Show.

And I’ve got a whole vlog style video about the trip HERE on YouTube.

Final Thoughts about the Brimfield Antique Show:

You might remember that I got to visit the huge market in Roundtop, TX earlier this year, and I have to say, I liked Brimfield more when compared to Round Top for these reasons:

• Less driving and parking.
• More antiques from Europe and the history of our country.
• Hardly anything commercial or mass produced.

That’s not to say Roundtop wasn’t also a great experience, but if I could only chose one – I think I’d chose Brimfield each time!

(Luckily, I don’t think I’ll have to pick between the two, at least not in 2023! I’m already planning trips back to both places next year!)

Where to stay for the Brimfield Antique Show:

Now, I can’t speak from experience about many other locations, but I can tell you that our experience at the Watson Boutique Bed & Breakfast was fantastic.

The original structure was built in 1767 and is one of the oldest houses around! They’ve since added on and made improvements, but so much of the original character shines through! I found it so hard to even capture well on camera to be able to share it with you, which I guess means you’ll have to book yourself a visit!

A white fringe hammock INSIDE, yes please!

Everywhere you look there’s antique character built into the house, and complemented beautifully with the decor.

Behind the Scenes Design Retreats:

I promised up above that I’d share some more details about the Who/What/Why of this trip! Both my Roundtop experience and this trip to Brimfield were Design Retreats for the ladies in my Behind the Scenes Design Group!

Here’s a sneak peak at the SWAG waiting for each lady as they checked into their room at the Watson Boutique B&B!

It had always been on my heart that my online classes would transform into real-life opportunities to meet together with other creative women for fun and fellowship, and the fact that these have evolved into beautiful antiquing trips in combination with the blossoming of friendships has been more than I could have planned years ago!

I had so much fun getting to know the ladies who were able to attend this trip, and can’t wait until we plan our next one! If a wonderful community like this is something YOUR heart is desiring, join my Behind the Scenes group (or the waitlist) now! We’d love to have you!

The New England Area:

I was SO impressed by the entire New England area! On our last night together before our retreat ended we went on a walk around the neighborhood and just drooled over the beautiful homes on every road!

I can’t wait to come back and see even more next year!

Pin These Brimfield Antique Show Tips for Later: