The thing about antiquing at Madison-Bouckville Antique Week – the way shopping becomes another form of exercise. Four hours of visiting the various “villages” of tents is equivalent to about eight miles of walking/hiking! It is a lot of fun. You should go!
Madison-Bouckville Antique week continues through August 20, 2023. The dealers are open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm every day. Here are my favorite finds –
Last year when I attended the Madison-Bouckville Antique Fest, I spent two additional hours looking for my car. I don’t know how I became so mixed up that day. Too much to see, really.
This year I stuck to one area. I parked in the location called Butternut Hill and just walked around and through those tents – for three hours! The whole thing is a time vortex. In the search for the old stuff of yesteryear, you can conceivably lose all track of time.
You still have three more days to take that drive on Route 20. From Syracuse, New York, head to Manlius, which will take you through Cazenovia and Morrisville to Madison.
I paid $5.00 to park but there is a possibility of finding free parking. And it is free to attend. Dealers are on both sides of the road (over 2,000!) set up in tents and there are also several antique shops along the route. There’s lots to see and plenty of food vendors too.
Before you go, set your intention to the universe in regard to what you are hoping to find. Then let yourself be guided to it. I purchased a bag of found object items to use in my artwork. I also enjoyed seeing old money, glass containers, and plenty of nostalgia. In addition, I stumbled upon lots of things my mother likes – porcelain figurines, crochet goods, teddy bears and baubles.
The best part was conversing with the vendors, all lovely people from here, there and every where. One man brought his antique store goods in from Louisiana. Another was from Fulton, NY. One lady from Pennsylvania told me that vendors pick the same or similar locations year after year. The Butternut Hill spot had excellent facilities for dining, showering and other aspects, she said.
Even if you don’t particularly like shopping, this festival is good exercise. It’s open 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM through Sunday. You can hike around for miles while time traveling. Now doesn’t that sound like a magical way to spend your day?
The Madison-Bouckville Antique Festival is well underway. It is not a weekend event, oh noooooooo – it’s a full week of “junk” hunting! Located on both sides of Route 20 in Bouckville, New York 13310, there are thousands of vendors under tents. Everything you could possibly want to find, collect or what have you, including several kitchen sinks.
On the way there today, I set an intention for what I wanted to see/find (mainly stuff to use in my mixed-media artwork) and yes, I stumbled into ALL of it. Some were at price points I was fine with and others not so much. It was an exercise in the zen of serendipity.
There is a nostalgic element to the flow – pictured above is the Campus Queen lunch box I carried in elementary school.
I walked around for four hours and, basically, I just scratched the surface. I think I saw about a fifth of what was there. It was such a gorgeous day – I would have continued until dusk, but the majority of vendors closed up shop at 5 pm. I may return tomorrow. I really cannot get enough of the thrill of the hunt.
Madison-Bouckville Antique Week continues through August 18, 2019. They are open 8 am – 5 pm. There are plenty of food vendors and restaurants, as well as lots of shopping. So fun! <3
