Save the Date: Step Back In Time With These Fairs and Festivals
- Opal Gems
- Top Activities
- Lake Placid Lodge
- Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa
- Samoset Resort
- Edgewater Beach Hotel
Traveling back decades – or even centuries – can happen anywhere; you just have to know where to look for the past. We’ve narrowed down your search to these Opal area fairs and festivals.
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May
Old Florida Festival [Naples, FL]
Spending an afternoon with Civil War soldiers, Spanish Conquistadors, and men from the Stone Age requires no time travel – just a trip to the Collier County Museum. More than 100 of the area’s best historical reenactors and craftsmen re-create 10 centuries of Southern Florida’s history with cannon firings and live music performances. You’ll even learn how to make your own soap, use a telegraph, and weave fishing nets.
August
Maine Antique Festival [Union, ME]
The 42 miles from Kittery to Scarborough have been described as the best antiquing grounds in New England, but for three days each year, hundreds of antique dealers, buyers, and collectors can be found all in one place. Estate jewelry, Shaker rocking chairs, early-twentieth-century glass art, and restored vintage clocks are commonplace. And if you can’t fit that turn-of-the-century armoire into your luggage home, just see the on-site shipper who will make sure your goods get home.
September
Annual Olympic Car Show & Parade [Lake Placid, NY]
Car enthusiasts vie for first place in the same locale as the 1980 Winter Olympics. You’ll find restored Bel Airs and supped-up Mustangs cruising along Main Street for the annual parade. Come Sunday, the hoods are up for inspection, and owners are more than happy to share the stories behind their cars, like how much work went into an eight-year build for a purple 1937 three-window Coup.
Year-Round
West Palm Beach Antiques Festival [West Palm Beach, FL]
You’ll only find restored Coca-Cola vending machines alongside mid-century Hollywood Regency chandeliers and vintage fur coats cozied up to 1920s Mills slot machines in West Palm Beach. Organizers Bill and Kay Puchstein have kept the South Florida Fairgrounds busy for the last 20 years, sharing the state’s best dealers for three days of shopping. Tip: Get a “first pick” by stopping by Friday at noon, when doors open for an early preview and first shoppers.