Sourced Reference
Brimfield Antique Show by the Numbers
Direct answer: Brimfield is not one fair with one gate count — it’s a mile of independently owned fields along Route 20 in Brimfield, Massachusetts, running three six-day shows a year since auctioneer Gordon Reid opened the first field in 1959. The cleanest framing you’ll get is: 21 fields in Finder’s November 2026 directory (other sources use “over 20” or different counts), thousands of dealers (promoter/press claims of 5,000–6,000 differ from a bottom-up roughly 3,300 published-space sum; spaces are not unique dealers), six days Tuesday–Sunday per run, and 2027 dates of May 11–16, July 13–18, and September 7–12 (confirmed from field promoters and Brimfield Antique Week as of November 2, 2026). Attendance and acreage are widely cited but not centrally audited — treat them as estimates and always check the source column.
This is an independent sourced reference, not an official town-issued census. Writing about Brimfield? You’re welcome to cite this page. For press or data questions: hello@brimfieldfinder.com · (413) 603-4100.
This page is maintained for journalists, answer engines, and planners who need a sourced number — not a vibe.
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“Brimfield Antique Show by the Numbers.” Brimfield Finder, accessed [your access date]. https://brimfieldfinder.com/brimfield-statistics
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The show at a glance
| Metric | Figure | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1959 — Gordon Reid’s first show on his Route 20 field (later Auction Acres) Sources: Auction Acres — About · BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Brimfield Auction Acres — About; BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Field site accessed Nov 2, 2026; BusinessWest 2016 |
| First-show dealers | 67 exhibitors Sources: Auction Acres — About · BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Brimfield Auction Acres — About; BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Field site accessed Nov 2, 2026; BusinessWest Apr 19, 2016 |
| First-show attendance (estimate) | About 300 people Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | 2016 article |
| Founder’s death / handoff | Gordon Reid died 1974; daughters Jill Reid Lukesh & Judith Reid Mathieu continued as J&J Promotions Sources: Auction Acres — About | Brimfield Auction Acres — About | Accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Dealers at Reid’s death (field claim) | 600 exhibitors + “thousands of visitors” Sources: Auction Acres — About | Brimfield Auction Acres — About | Accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Dealers at Reid’s death (press) | About 800 vendors on ~25 acres Sources differ: Auction Acres says 600; BusinessWest reports about 800 on approximately 25 acres. Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | 2016 |
| Shows per year | 3 — May, July, September Sources: brimfieldantiqueweek.com · WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 | Brimfield Antique Week; WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 / Jul 2026 |
| Show length | Six days each — Tuesday through Sunday Sources: brimfieldantiqueweek.com · WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 | Brimfield Antique Week; WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 (six-day stretch) | 2026–27 |
| Spring 2027 | May 11–16, 2027 Sources: Finder — Green Acres · Heart-O-The-Mart (own site) · Brimfield Live Online · brimfieldantiqueweek.com | Green Acres; Heart-O-The-Mart 2027 letter/site; Brimfield Live Online; brimfieldantiqueweek.com | Nov 2, 2026 |
| Summer 2027 | July 13–18, 2027 Sources: Finder — Green Acres · Heart-O-The-Mart (own site) · Brimfield Live Online · brimfieldantiqueweek.com | Green Acres; Heart-O-The-Mart 2027 letter/site; Brimfield Live Online; brimfieldantiqueweek.com | Nov 2, 2026 |
| Fall 2027 | September 7–12, 2027 Sources: Finder — Green Acres · Heart-O-The-Mart (own site) · Brimfield Live Online · brimfieldantiqueweek.com | Green Acres; Heart-O-The-Mart 2027 letter/site; Brimfield Live Online; brimfieldantiqueweek.com | Nov 2, 2026 |
| Past 2026 windows | May 12–17 · July 14–19 · September 8–13, 2026 Sources: WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 · Finder — show dates | Brimfield Finder — Show Dates; WBUR Jul 2026 run | 2026 |
| Corridor | ~1 mile of Route 20 / Main Street (“Flea Market Mile”) Sources: Brimfield Antique Week — About · BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 · WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 | Brimfield Antique Week — About; BusinessWest, 2016; WBUR, 2026 (mile-long strip) | 2016–2026 |
| Town population (context) | Less than 4,000 (WBUR); Finder cites ~3,700 Sources: WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 · Finder — Brimfield 101 | WBUR, Jul 10, 2026; Brimfield Finder — Brimfield 101 | 2026 |
Fields & footprint
| Metric | Figure | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fields (Finder directory) | 21 independently owned/operated fields on current schedule Sources: Finder — field directory | Brimfield Finder — Field Directory | Accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Fields (press / promoters) | “Over 20” (WBUR); “over 20 individual show fields” (Brimfield Antique Week); Reminder “20 fields” (2023); Auction Acres “at least 22 other show promoters” Sources differ: that wording implies about 23 promoters/fields, not the Finder directory’s 21. Definitions and dates differ. Sources: WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 · Brimfield Antique Week — About · The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 · Auction Acres — About | WBUR, Jul 10, 2026; Brimfield Antique Week — About; The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023; Auction Acres — About | 2023–2026 |
| Acreage (promoter site) | Over 150 acres Sources: Brimfield Antique Week — About | Brimfield Antique Week — About | Accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Acreage (chamber quote) | 1,200 acres of privately owned property along the mile Sources differ: this 2016 chamber quote conflicts with Brimfield Antique Week’s 150+ acres. These figures are not reconciled. Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Lenny Weake, Quaboag Hills Chamber, quoted in BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | 2016 |
| Heart-O-The-Mart acreage (one field) | 17 acres (Finder field page) Sources: Finder — Heart-O-The-Mart | Brimfield Finder — Heart-O-The-Mart | Accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Governance note | Fields are private businesses; town permitting and Massachusetts sales-tax rules are distinct from show operation — “the town of Brimfield is not involved with the event” as operator (BusinessWest) Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | 2016 |
| Show-length ordinance history | Selectmen set a six-day operating window three times a year after 1990s expansion pressure (field-owner interview) | BusinessWest — Community Profile: Brimfield, Jul 2, 2013 | Published Jul 2, 2013; accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
Dealer counts (read the conflicts)
Brimfield has independently operated fields and no shared dealer registry established by this research, so the show-wide dealer totals below are estimates or source claims, not a verified count of unique dealers. Here’s what named sources actually say — not what gets repeated on social.
| Metric | Figure | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show-wide dealers (promoter about page) | Approximately 6,000 dealers making annual trips Sources: Brimfield Antique Week — About | Brimfield Antique Week — About | Accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Show-wide dealers (chamber quote) | About 6,000 vendors Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Weake in BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | 2016 |
| Show-wide dealers (trade press) | 5,000 dealers / “not uncommon to hit 5,000” on a well-attended show Sources: Antique Trader | Antique Trader — Brimfield opens flea market season | Article date not established in this research; accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Show-wide ceiling phrasing (field sites) | “Upwards of 5,000” / “up to 5000” across ~21–22 fields — mixed estimate wording, not a verified minimum Sources: Finder — dealer-count analysis | Central Park & Shelton sites, summarized in Brimfield Finder — Is Brimfield Really 5,000+ Dealers? | Sep 10, 2026 |
| Bottom-up dealer spaces | Roughly 3,300 summed minima from Journal of Antiques & Collectibles Brimfield Show Guide table (19 of 21 fields) Source-method caution: Finder’s September 10, 2026 analysis reports this space sum from the July/September 2026 JOAC guides; the underlying print-guide tally has not been independently re-counted for this hub. Spaces are not unique dealers. Sources: Finder — dealer-count analysis | Brimfield Finder dealer-count analysis citing JOAC Jul & Sep 2026 guides | Jul/Sep 2026 guides; post Sep 10, 2026 |
| Largest stated field counts | Auction Acres 450+; Heart-O-The-Mart 450+ (historical table claim); New England Motel 400+; Dealer’s Choice 400+ (table) vs printed ad 200+ Sources differ: the JOAC/Finder table reports 400+ for Dealer’s Choice; a printed ad reports 200+. Its own site reports 425, including 70 pavilion spaces. For Heart-O-The-Mart, the historical guide/Finder table listed 450+; Heart-O-The-Mart’s own site states 400 exhibitors (checked November 6, 2026). Sources: Heart-O-The-Mart (own site) · Dealer’s Choice (field site: 425 dealers, incl. 70 pavilion spaces) | JOAC via Finder’s 2026 analysis; HOTM current own-site count (400, accessed Nov 6, 2026) | 2026 |
| Auction Acres own seasonal claim | 800 exhibitors May & September; ~550 in July Sources differ: Auction Acres’ own seasonal claim differs from the 2026 guide/Finder table’s 450+. Neither is treated as a verified current head count. Sources: Auction Acres — About | Brimfield Auction Acres — About | Accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Dealer’s Choice (field site) | 425 dealers (incl. 70 pavilion spaces) Sources: Dealer’s Choice (field site: 425 dealers, incl. 70 pavilion spaces) | Dealer’s Choice / Brimfield Antiques Center | Accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Heart-O-The-Mart growth anecdote | 6 dealers (1982) → 40 (1984) → 400 dealers in May show (owner Don Moriarty) Sources: The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 | The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 | Aug 21, 2023 |
| Qualitative (2026 radio) | “Thousands” of vendors; individual fields “more than 400” or fewer Sources: WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 | Lori Faxon to WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 | Jul 10, 2026 |
| Transcript / visitor-scale note | Quaker Acres alone: “100+ vendors,” ~two hours even skipping booths Sources: Nic’s visitor account (YouTube; not Finder’s own visit) | Nic — BRIMFIELD FLEA MARKET Haul + Tips for Beginners (May 3, 2026, YouTube) | May 3, 2026 |
Plain-English takeaway: Cite each source and its method separately. Approximately 6,000 annual dealer trips (Brimfield Antique Week), 5,000 or “up to 5,000” headline estimates (trade press/field sites), and roughly 3,300 published dealer-space minima (JOAC via Finder, 2026) are not interchangeable. Do not turn them into a reconciled range, average, or confident “5,000+” unique-dealer count.
Attendance
| Metric | Figure | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| May show (trade press) | MA State Police estimate “upwards of 50,000” for May (as reported by Jody Young) Sources: Antique Trader | Antique Trader | Article/estimate year not established in this research; accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Annual / three-show total (chamber) | “Over 1 million” across the three annual showcases Unconfirmed historical estimate: this is a 2016 chamber claim, not a current audited annual count; no newer audited total was established in the November 2, 2026 research. Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Weake in BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Apr 19, 2016 |
| Historical swell (LA Times) | Town pop “less than 3,000” swells to “more than 50,000” during show weeks Sources: Los Angeles Times, Aug 12, 1990 | Los Angeles Times, Aug 12, 1990 | Aug 12, 1990 |
| July decline anecdote | Dealer claim: July “would get fifty thousand” in the 1990s, “now it’s ten thousand” Unconfirmed anecdote: this is one dealer’s comparison reported in 2014, not an independently measured attendance series. Sources: Boston Globe Magazine, Aug 22, 2014 | Boston Globe Magazine, Aug 22, 2014 | Aug 22, 2014 |
| Organizer honesty check | Faxon: attracts “more shoppers than organizers can even count” Sources: WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 | WBUR, Jul 10, 2026 | Jul 10, 2026 |
| Seasonality (field owner) | May largest; July smaller (heat); September second Sources: The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 · Antique Trader | Moriarty in The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023; similar framing on Brimfield Finder dates | 2023 / 2026 |
| Repeat visitors (estimate) | At least 50% return each year (Young estimate) Sources: Antique Trader | Antique Trader | Article date not established in this research; accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
Economic impact
| Metric | Figure | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional visitor spending (model) | ~$2.2 million per show · ~$6.6 million / year (three shows) Sources: The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 | Mary Kay Wydra, Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, to The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 (“according to computer models”) | Aug 21, 2023 |
| Lodging pressure | Sturbridge-area hotels fill; book far ahead; visitors from U.S. + abroad Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 · The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 | BusinessWest, 2016; The Reminder, 2023; NEPM / WBUR family, May 14, 2020 | 2016–2023 |
| Church parking fundraiser | First Congregational Church: parking ~$10/spot; >$60,000 across three shows in the prior year (minister’s 2020 comment); ~1/3 of church annual budget Sources: NEPM, May 14, 2020 | Rev. Dawn Adams to NEPM, May 14, 2020 | May 14, 2020 |
| State recognition | Brimfield Show Promoters Association received a MOT tourism grant (Reminder) | The Reminder — Sept return story | Publication date not established in this research; accessed Nov 2, 2026 |
| Ranking claim (field owner) | Markets “only second to the Big E” in drawing visitors to the state Unconfirmed promotional ranking: this field-owner claim is not an audited state tourism ranking. Sources: The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 | Don Moriarty to The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 | Aug 21, 2023 |
| Cultural listing | Included in Patricia Schultz’s 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | 2016 |
History milestones (sourced)
| Year | Milestone | Source and as of |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Gordon & Madelyn Reid invite New England dealers; first show, 67 exhibitors, on the field behind their home Sources: Auction Acres — About · BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Auction Acres About (accessed Nov 2, 2026); BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 |
| 1959 | Second show same year after success (BusinessWest) Sources: BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 |
| 1974 | Reid dies; show at ~600 (Auction Acres) or ~800 on 25 acres (BusinessWest); daughters form J&J Promotions Sources: Auction Acres — About · BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 | Auction Acres About (accessed Nov 2, 2026); BusinessWest, Apr 19, 2016 — sources differ |
| Late 1970s–1990s | Overflow dealers push neighbors to open fields; corridor becomes ~1 mile of Route 20 Sources: Auction Acres — About · BusinessWest community profile, Jul 2, 2013 | Auction Acres About (accessed Nov 2, 2026); BusinessWest Community Profile (published Jul 2, 2013; accessed Nov 2, 2026) |
| Early 1990s | Shows briefly stretched toward ~14 days; town compromise locks six-day windows × 3/year | BusinessWest Community Profile (published Jul 2, 2013; accessed Nov 2, 2026) |
| 1982– | Heart-O-The-Mart under Moriarty ownership (Reminder) Sources: The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 | The Reminder, Aug 21, 2023 |
| 2020 | May show disrupted / moved online during COVID; regional businesses lose show-week revenue Sources: NEPM, May 14, 2020 | NEPM, May 14, 2020 |
| 2026 | Finder directory: 21 fields; Sep 2026 in-person visit noted on About Sources: Finder — field directory | Fields; About (both accessed Nov 2, 2026) |
Short FAQ
How big is Brimfield, really?
Finder lists 21 fields as of November 2, 2026; other sources use different definitions. Promoter/press claims of 5,000–6,000 dealers and a roughly 3,300 published-space sum measure different things, not one reconciled head count. See the sourced dealer table above.
When is Brimfield in 2027?
May 11–16, July 13–18, and September 7–12 — six days Tuesday–Sunday each. Confirmed as of November 2, 2026 from Green Acres, Heart-O-The-Mart’s 2027 letter, Brimfield Live Online, and brimfieldantiqueweek.com.
Is there one “official” attendance number?
No. Faxon told WBUR organizers can’t even count shoppers. Common cite: ~50,000 for a strong May (Antique Trader / State Police estimate as reported). Treat annual “1 million+” (2016 chamber quote) as dated and unverified against 2020s counts.
How many acres?
Brimfield Antique Week says 150+. A 2016 chamber quote said 1,200. Until a town or promoters association publishes a surveyed total, list both with dates — do not invent a midpoint.
Who started it?
Gordon Reid, 1959, on what became Auction Acres (Auction Acres About).
What’s the economic impact?
Greater Springfield CVB model via The Reminder (2023): about $2.2M per show / $6.6M per year. Lodging, food, parking (including church lots), and nearby towns absorb the surge — qualitative consensus across BusinessWest, Reminder, and NEPM.
Methodology & last updated
What this page is: A sourced statistics hub for the Brimfield Antique Show / Brimfield Antique Week corridor.
What it is not: An audited census. Brimfield has no single ticket, no single map authority, and no shared dealer registry. Bob Wyss (Brimfield Rush), quoted in the Boston Globe Magazine (2014), put it plainly: “The numbers have always been hard to pin down… The promoters are, well, promoters.”
2027 dates: Confirmed May 11–16, July 13–18, September 7–12 from Green Acres, Heart-O-The-Mart’s 2027 letter, Brimfield Live Online, and brimfieldantiqueweek.com (as of November 2, 2026). Lodging sites that estimate by rule of thumb are not used as date sources.
Preferred sources: Field operator sites (e.g. Auction Acres, Green Acres, Heart-O-The-Mart), Brimfield Antique Week / Brimfield Live Online, Journal of Antiques & Collectibles show guides, WBUR, BusinessWest, The Reminder, Antique Trader, Boston Globe, LA Times, NEPM; Brimfield Finder’s own bottom-up dealer work; visitor transcripts for qualitative scale only (e.g. Nic, May 3, 2026).
Town of Brimfield official site: Attempted Nov 2, 2026 (brimfieldma.org) — Cloudflare challenge blocked automated fetch. Re-check manually before publish for any town-published stats.
brimfieldshow.com: Did not resolve in this research pass; use brimfieldantiqueweek.com / field sites / Finder until a working promoters URL is confirmed.
Sources differ notes identify unresolved figures in the tables; historical estimates and anecdotes remain explicitly qualified rather than averaged away.
Last researched: November 2, 2026 (America/Chicago). Public presentation prepared November 6, 2026; source access dates above remain November 2 unless otherwise stated.
Source links
- Brimfield Auction Acres — About
- Brimfield Antique Week — About
- Brimfield Antique Week
- Heart-O-The-Mart
- BusinessWest — Brimfield shows attract buyers, sellers from around the globe (Apr 19, 2016)
- The Reminder — Impact: Brimfield flea market a big draw to region (Aug 21, 2023)
- WBUR — Brimfield insider shopping tips (Jul 10, 2026)
- Brimfield Live Online (operator reference)
- Antique Trader — Brimfield opens flea market season (dealer and attendance estimates)
- Boston Globe Magazine — Brimfield: everything old is old again (Aug 22, 2014)
- NEPM — Bargains and spirit of the Brimfield antique flea markets move online (May 14, 2020)
- Los Angeles Times (Aug 12, 1990)
- BusinessWest — Community profile: Brimfield (Jul 2, 2013)
- Dealer’s Choice / Brimfield Antiques Center
- The Reminder — Brimfield antique and flea market returns Sept. 3 (reported tourism grant)
- Nic — Brimfield Flea Market haul + tips for beginners (May 3, 2026, YouTube; a visitor’s account, not Finder’s own visit)
- Brimfield Finder — Is Brimfield Really 5,000+ Dealers?
Keep planning
show dates · field directory · dealer-count analysis · Brimfield history