11 Things You Need to Know About the Brimfield Flea

We travel to the Brimfield Antique Flea Market located in Brimfield, Massachusetts once a year, and it is a vintage enthusiast’s dream filled with fields upon fields of treasures. There are three shows each year—one in May, July, and September, starting on Tuesday and finishing on Sunday.

With 17 different fields to explore, each has an eclectic mix of finds. Certain areas are more heavily populated in specific styles than others. We find that The Meadows had a mid-century boho vibe, and Quaker Acres has more vintage farmhouse meets industrial. There is antique pottery and many modern farmhouse finds at the New England Motel. It is always fun to see so many amazing dealers and shops all in one place.

Here is everything we have learned from our many trips shopping the Brimfield.

1. Not all fields are open each day. Check out the Brimfield website before you go. It lists all of the fields, their location, and which days they are open. Some fields charge a $5 entry on opening day. However, you’ll get first dibs on all the goods.

2. Get there early—a majority of the fields open at 6 a.m. We were there by 7:30 a.m. both days, and it gets much more crowded toward the afternoon.

If you’re there early like us, you might even get the chance to see HGTV stars. Courtney Novogratz, of Home by Novogratz, was filmed during our first trip to the flea. And yes, Christian and I totally pretended to shop in the background while we were secretly trying to listen in and learn all about her fabulous finds.

Recognize this coffee table?

3. Don’t Park in the First Lot You See.  The lots are scattered all along Main Street. Drive past the first one or two lots before you park. You’ll be closer to the midway point for easy drop-offs during the day. There will be parking attendants directing you into their lot. It’s okay to pass by them and go onto the next one. Lots charge about $10 per day.

4. Dress Accordingly & Bring a Big Shoulder Bag. I know this seems obvious, but it is essential. Bringing the right clothes saved us from a morning of waiting out the rain. It poured on opening day one year, and luckily we had our rain boots and ponchos. We stayed dry and could slosh through all the muddy puddles, no problem. 

A big shoulder bag is excellent for carrying your smaller finds. Wear layers and your best walking shoes. I’m a sneaker gal, and a good pair is a must. We walked 12,000 steps on day one and 16,000 on day two. Don’t forget to sunblock and put on some bug spray.

5. You Can Leave Large Finds with the Dealer for End of the Day Pick-Up. Don’t want to carry around your purchase? No problem. The dealers will let you leave your purchase with them until the end of the day. You are allowed to drive your car down the field aisles for pick-ups.  Make sure to write down the dealer’s name and location or snap a photo of the booth. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to forget when you are keeping track of many items.

6. Plan a Stop Back to Your Car Mid-Day. If you park near the center of everything, it’s easy to make a pit stop at your car to drop off any smaller finds you might be lugging around. It also gave us a chance to cool off in the air conditioning and change out of our rain gear.

7.  Staying Overnight? As you can imagine, hotels around Brimfield fill up fast. Book weeks in advance to secure your room. We’ve also rented a house through Homeaway in a town next to Brimfield. There may have only been one convenience store for 15 miles, but we were only a 10-minute drive from Brimfield.

8. Most dealers only take cash. Some of the larger dealers are set up for credit card purchases, but not many. With a credit card purchase also come taxes and fees. You can always make a better deal if you pay in cash.

The dealers expect you to talk prices with them. If they see your interest in an item, many of the dealers will tell you a lower price right off the bat. If you buy more than one item from a dealer, you might be able to get a bundle deal.

9. Food Vendors and a Place to Rest. Dining tables and most of the food vendors are located near New England Motel. They have food stands with New England classics (lobster rolls & clam chowder) and food trucks of every kind. They even have a beer vendor. My personal favorite is Faddy’s Donuts. You have to try the walnut maple glazed. They are so good I could probably eat a dozen myself. 

10. July is the slowest of the three shows at Brimfield. There is an upside and a downside to this. There are fewer vendors with the warmer weather, which is hard to imagine with how much there was to see. On the upside, it’s not nearly as crowded, and you have a chance to spend some time talking with the dealers: another positive, much less traffic.

11. You Can’t See it All. Trust me. We try every single time. There is so much to see. In two days, around 7 hours each day, I’d say we can see about three-quarters of everything, and that’s okay with us. It makes us that much more excited for the next trip.

I hope you enjoyed all the information about America’s oldest outdoor antique flea market. If you plan to take a trip to the next show or anytime in the future and have any questions about shopping at Brimfield, I’d love to help. Just leave a note in the comments.