BRIMFIELD, Mass. — The Brimfield Antiques Show is a New England tradition known all around the world. Several times a year, antiques lovers descend on Brimfield and enjoy an endless supply of second-hand stuff spread across 20 fields or shows.
For many, the dates for Brimfield are circled on calendars in great anticipation. Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Brimfield Antiques Fair from opening. And it looks like most of Brimfield’s fields will still be empty in May when the antiques show traditionally opens for the year.
“I can’t tell you how agonizing this is,” said Klia Ververidis, the CEO of the Hertan’s Field.
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Earlier this week, the Town of Brimfield gave field owners, like Klia, the okay to reopen in May. But Klia said pandemic restrictions limiting crowd size and including social distancing requirements made re-opening impossible for most owners. Her field will not re-open in May.
“It’s not that we feel like anything that was asked of us was unreasonable,” Klia said. “The issue is it wasn’t workable for our events. It wasn’t workable for our venue.”
And it’s the same for most, but not all, of the other venue owners. Among them, Bob Doldoorian, co-owner of the New England Motel site.
“They did everything they could to help us out. It has nothing to do with them, it really has to do with the personal show owners. We just feel like we couldn’t deliver that experience,” Doldoorian said.
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Doldoorian said the owners of 19 of Brimfield’s 20 fields have made the same decision to not open in May. They’ll miss May, but they are hoping they’ll be back for July.
“We just felt it wasn’t going to be the Brimfield experience, and I think that’s what everybody needs,” Doldoorian said.
Opening Day for the Brimfield Antiques Show is scheduled for May 9. At least one field is expected to be open.
Ververidis and Doldoorian said they have nothing against any owner who opens; they recognize the financial pressure driving that decision. However, they believe the restrictions won’t allow, “Brimfield to be Brimfield.”
They both are optimistic they will be able to reopen in July.
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