Fall Antiques Shows: Art, Home Decor & Beyond

No visit to Blue Hills is complete without a stop for barbecue prepared by the La Grange Methodist Men, who have been feeding shoppers here for more than a decade. Working Friday morning’s shift were (front row, left to right): Lisa Davis, Nancy Hajek, Erica Menconi and Sandy Flagg. (Back row, left to right): Orvel Hill, James Dornwell, Roger Stone, Janet Gillentine, Rocky Roesler, Scott Davis, Jim Kahlden and Katina Osth. Right, Nancy Hajek points to the list of local organizations that receive support from funds during the big event. East Bernard native Korinne Belock of Palm Beach Regency in Florida picked out a Greek bamboo mirror as a favorite item in her shop. Kaci Lyford of East End Salvage of McKinney, Texas, shopped at 36 fall and spring shows before returning as a dealer eight years ago. The most unusual item she brought to this fall’s event was an antique Austrian traditional clay stove (kachelofen) that required only three pieces of wood a day to keep a room warm and cozy. By Friday, it was already tagged as sold. As for me, two weeks ago I was listening to the chatter of Canada geese feeding in a grain field south of Calgary, Alberta. On Friday, I found a primitive wooden Canada goose at Leftovers Antiques. Small world! The weather was picture-perfect on Friday morning when Elizabeth Prichard-Jones of Ammannsville’s Country Peony visited some of her favorite Blue Hills’ vendors. Darla Ussery of Leftovers Antiques in Brenham drew attention to the biggest piece of furniture her company had for sale on site. In fact, the cabinet was so large it didn’t fit in one photograph.

Blue Hills at Round Top is buzzing. The venue, which features 100,000 square feet of shopping and 60 curated vendors, is popular with serious shoppers and interior designers from across the country. Heading into the last week of the fall antique show, vendors are already reporting outstanding sales. Some go so far as to describe this as their most lucrative ever. Let’s check it out.