For thirty years the St. Vrain Historical Society has sponsored antique shows
as their primary fund-raisers to help finance historic education and
preservation projects in the community.
Pumpkin Pie Days was a
community festival held in Longmont each year between 1899 and 1914. Visitors
came to town, many on the special trains the railroad added for the occasion,
to watch the parade, cheer at the horse races, and, of course, partake of the
free pumpkin pie and other food provided by Longmont businesses and housewives.
Some years, attendance was more than 10,000.
In 1969, the St. Vrain Historical Society chose to commemorate this early community celebration in the name of their newly established flea market and antique show. Over the past 30 years the show has become a modern community tradition, drawing as many as 5,000 visitors from across the front range to shop from more than 80 antique dealers. Pumpkin pies, donated by Society members and supporters, are reminiscent of the early Pumkin Pie Days. The show, with the reputation as one of the best in Northern Colorado, is held each year on the second full weekend of October.
Strawberry Festival
Antique Show was started thirty years ago to help raise funds for
Society projects. Once again, the Society chose to commemorate a unique
Longmont historical event in naming this show. In 1871, Longmont's founding
year, New York philanthropist, Elizabeth Thompson, donated the land and books
for a library in the Chicago Colorado Colony's new town. She visited Longmont
only once when she came for the dedication of Library Hall in June 1871. It was
billed as a Strawberry Festival and was a gala event reported in all the Denver
newspapers of the day. Library Hall served as Longmont's first town hall,
community center, school and place of worship. It still stands today at 335
Pratt Street in Longmont.
The Society has held the Strawberry Festival the weekend after Mother's Day each year since 1970. Like Pumpkin Pie Days it has grown in size and reputation and each May thousands of visitors come to browse among the antiques displayed and sold by over 80 exhibitors. Everyone enjoys the strawberry short cake with freshly whipped cream dished up by Society volunteers.
The Heritage Festival Antique Show was established in July 1997 to raise funds for the purchase of historic Hoverhome in Longmont. Now in its fifth year, The Heritage Festival, which has 80 antique exhibitors, promises to become as much a tradition as the Society's two more established shows.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANTIQUE SHOWS
All of the Society's antique shows are held at the Exhibit
Building at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road in Longmont. Hours
are Saturday, 10am - 5pm; Sunday, 11am - 4pm. Each show features 75 vendors who
display and sell a wide variety of antiques and collectibles. Admission is $3.
|
Pumpkin Pie Days Antique Show |
October 10 ~ 11, 2009 | |
|
Strawberry Festival Antique Show |
May 16 ~ 17, 2009 |
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