Antiques In A Cow Pasture:

A One-Day Antiques Show With History

SALISBURY — Barn Star Productions will present its third annual “Antiques In A Cow Pasture: One Day Antiques Show” on Saturday, September 6. The show will again benefit Salisbury Visiting Nurses Association at its original show site in Salisbury. The original event ran under the management of the renowned promoter, Russell Carrell, for close to 50 years. It was brought back by promoter and show manager Frank Gaglio two years ago.

The one-day outdoor event will feature over 100 dealers in Americana, European, garden, and a whole spectrum of antiques in a festive informal setting. The flavor of the original show has not changed. Then, dealers arrived in station wagons and sedans piled high with their latest finds. Today dealers transport their wares in vans and cube trucks, but they are still jam-packed with rare and wonderful offerings saved for this occasion.

Comments Frank Gaglio: “It is hard to follow in the footsteps of such a talented and well-respected promoter as Mr Carrell. What we have tried to accomplish with Antiques in a Cow Pasture is to slow down time and bring back memories of an early New England show in a town where the pace of life is still tempered by the beauty and serenity of its natural surroundings.”

In a welcome letter printed in the August 29 issue of Antiques and The Arts Weekly (the sister newspaper of The Newtown Bee), Mr Gaglio offered additional comments.

“Each year we receive more and more interest in this festive yet serious show from dealers and collectors who share fond memories of Salisbury and the show’s early days,” wrote Mr Gaglio, the owner of Barn Star Productions. “So many times I have heard dealers say, ‘Coming back to Salisbury and Antiques In A Cow Pasture is like coming home.’ I know what they mean, as I too have fond memories of this New England tradition and all of the wonderful people I have met there over the years.

“Antiquers are a hearty bunch. Arriving at the show field, regardless of the weather, for setup and early buying means dealers are getting up before daybreak, driving to the site and waiting patiently in line until setup begins. The excitement really begins, however, when the show opens to early buyers [who have risen equally early]. Suddenly the cow pasture blossoms with colorful cupboards, weathervanes, Windsor chairs, garden furnishings, quilts, tables, ceramics, prints, clocks, toys, jewelry, Oriental rugs, blanket chests, early lighting, Shaker artifacts, paintings and so much more!

“Like the comforting and familiar smell of a grandmother’s kitchen, the sights and sounds of Antiques In A Cow Pasture will transport you back to the early days of your collecting past. Though the old homestead bulges with acquisitions and finding room for another treasure poses a pleasant challenge, the 100-plus exhibitors at Antiques In A Cow Pasture beckon your arrival with open arms.

“Mow the lawn later, play golf on Sunday, but don’t miss our show, for homecomings are special events and Saturday is for Antiquing!” concluded Mr Gaglio.

The show offers free parking and an on-site café within a food tent.

“Antiques In a Cow Pasture” is presented at 92 Canaan Road (Route 44) in Salisbury – on the grounds of the original Carrell Homestead – behind the shop of John Spencer Antiques. The show starts, rain or shine, with early buying from 8 to 10 am. Admission for the early buying is $20.

Regular show hours will then run from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is $6 for adults, and free for children ages 16 and under. Dogs are welcome if well behaved and leashed.

For complete show information, visit www.barnstar.com or call 845-876-0616. For accommodations information contact Litchfield Hills Visitors Bureau at 860-567-4506 or www.LitchfieldHills.com.

 

A Bit Of History

According to a section concerning the show’s history on the Barn Star Productions website, it was in January 2000 that American furniture collectors Mary Ann Apicella and Jack Hollihan were celebrating the Millenium around a bonfire and heard that Russell Carrell’s 18th Century house and barn in Salisbury had just been put on the market. Aware that the friend and dealer who had helped them form the bulk of their collection of Federal furniture, John Spencer, was looking for a place to relocate, they decided that from a dealer’s point of view, “it didn’t get much better than this.” Besides, the house came with the cow pasture: the site of Mr Carrell’s well-known September show, Antiques In A Cow Pasture. Mr Carrell’s show, which took place the weekend after Labor Day, had been a local fixture for 58 years. It was also the first outdoor antiques market in the United States.

Residents of Sharon, Mr Hollihan and Ms Apicella jumped at the chance to keep the property and its 18th Century house intact and re-establish a much-missed autumn antiques event in Salisbury. John Spencer jumped at the opportunity to locate his shop of American furniture in a town that boasted other fine dealers in American furniture.

By the beginning of April 2000, after work had begun to restore the house and bring the barn up to code for use as a shop, plans to re-start Antiques In A Cow Pasture were afoot. By September, when the striking blue and gold sign announcing John Spencer Antiques/American Gallery was hung, attention turned to organizing a good show focused on Americana.

“Jack and I wanted to bring back this local event because we are passionate about Americana, especially American furniture, and this is something we want to share,” said Ms Apicella.

Now in its third year and under the management of Frank Gaglio and Barn Star Productions, the show continues its tradition of high energy and quality merchandise.