Visitors to the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Antique Show and Sale check out the many different tents on Saturday. Photo by Ben Appleton
On a day that has seen rain in years past, Saturday (July 9) saw sunshine and cloud cover for the 57th Annual St Peter’s Episcopal Church Antique Show and Sale.
The event, held in Elton Park off of Routes 5&20 in Bloomfield, featured 43 vendors, some coming from as far as Ohio and Massachusetts. Vendors set up tents in the park to display and sell their antique goods. From bottle caps featuring the pictures of iconic baseball players to cast iron benches from the 1930’s, the show had items for all age groups and interests.
The vendors, who have to sign a contract with the event and fulfill certain requirements in order to obtain a space at the show, come with many stories of their own.
These were among the many items at the Antique Show and Sale in East Bloomfield. Photo by Ben Appleton
One vendor, Tim, said that he had been on a waiting list for six years before he finally obtained a contract for the event. Today, he is a 30 year veteran at the show, one who has been collecting antiques since the early 60’s.
Many of the vendors have been coming for years and years, making it a family tradition to attend the large event. The Bloomfield area is seen by enthusiasts as a place overflowing with antique treasures.
Linda Morotini, a coordinator of the event, called the area an “antique hotbed”, and said that the event “brings the community together”. Donations were taken to get into the show, and part of those proceeds went to Hands of Hope Kitchen, a local volunteer kitchen which serves weekly lunches to roughly 70 people year-round.
Throughout the day the park was filled with people, as Routes 5&20 was lined up and down with parked cars. At the event, people could purchase hot dogs and cold drinks from tents manned by church volunteers. Picnic tables were set up in the park where attendees could enjoy some refreshments, sit in the beautiful weather, and relax. The show came to a close in the late afternoon, and just as soon as the final vendors were done packing up their precious goods, the skies opened and the rain came.
Altogether the show was a great success, and an incredible example of a small-town event that has grown into a tradition that has spanned generations.
