Few places in American can rival the picturesque beauty of New England, particularly Southern Vermont. Tree-lined streets, pristine church steeples, bold mountains, sugar maples, and leaves saturated in oranges, reds and yellows in the fall season, all serve to make Southern Vermont a visually stunning destination for all things antiques. As it turns out, Southern Vermont has a lot of them. From 18th and 19th century formal and country American furniture to quilts, hooked rugs and other textiles, drive around the area and you’ll come across many storybook towns rich with serenity and antiques. 50 miles from Manchester are more than 75 dealers, hidden in the Dorset, Arlington, Bennington, Danby, Wallingford, Wilmington, Chester, Newfane and many others, on and off routes 7 and 30. Though the trend is American and fine country furniture, you’ll also find tramp art and similar rustic items, European, as well as Scandinavian items.
If you decide to extend your stay, travel further onto Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, and other New York towns, where you’ll find even more treasures, or you can continue North on route 7 to Burlington, Vermont and Quebec’s Eastern Townships. There are also plenty of shows to partake in as well. On the last weekend of September, the Vermont Antique Dealers Association Show takes place at Hunter Park Pavilion in Manchester, drawing about 75 dealers with top-quality country and folk art pieces, and more formal high country furniture. The Hildene Antiques Show happens on the Sunday of that same weekend with 70 dealers, who offer a wide variety of New England inspired items. This area has smaller shows too, in Dorset and Hidene, and Newfane holds its annual Saturday show in mid-February. Sporting more your cup of tea? The Fly Fishing and Sporting and Antiques and Collectibles show in Manchester is the last weekend in June. And if you want to go to lower key shows, Southern Vermont’s two largest outdoor flea markets are in Wilmington, the last weekends in May through October. Whether you choose to visit this area for the mountains, sugar maples or antiques, Southern Vermont will not disappoint.
