Brimfield Antique Show
DATES: May 8-13 • July 10-15 • September 4-9
Brimfield Massachusetts is the site of the largest outdoor antique show in New England, with over 5000 dealers from all over the country (3 hours from Ridgewood). It consists of numerous individual shows, all taking place over a six day period three times yearly. One of the longest running US antique shows, if offers a great range of antiques and collectibles and is pretty much a “pure” show having far fewer reproductions and new 
items than most outdoor shows. The smaller fields tend to open up early (Tuesday) and larger shows open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The number of small fields means that there are plenty of dealers open on Tuesday, and all these shows are free. You would do well to shop early in the week as some dealers will leave before the weekend. Sunday remains a chancery day to visit as dealers are packing and leaving and a few shows have already closed down. Arguably the spring show is the best followed by the fall show. The summer show has fewer dealers and less merchandise on display. There are a handful of “pay fields” mostly charging an admission of $5 and many fields have pay parking ranging from $4 to $10. There are many hotels and restaurants in the area, mostly in the Sturbridge area, although Palmer to the west has some good restaurants and many of the smaller 
villages both north and south offer good choices. Springfield, about 20 minutes west of Brimfield via the Mass Pike, offers much cheaper lodging and has a very good selection of restaurants. Brimfield is a great experience and can easily be combined with visits Old Sturbridge Village and the museums in Springfield. Boston is an easy drive as well the coastal towns to the south.
Joss & Main has a nice summary of the event on their blog.
