The country’s third-largest antique show is set to open this Friday with thousands of Washingtonians expected to turn out for a weekend of antiquing.
The show, in its 52nd year, is a post-New Year’s tradition in Washington. Third in size only to shows in New York City and Philadelphia, last year it attracted more than 4,000 antiques enthusiasts.
In a region where traditional colonial architecture lines numerous residential streets, antique shopping is a favorite pastime of many Washingtonians.
“This area is steeped in traditionalism,” said Judith Turner-Yamamoto, a spokeswoman for the Washington Antiques Show. “So it’s a natural fit that it would be so popular here.”
This year’s show will run Friday through Sunday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Northwest. Forty-five dealers from all over the country will be in town with antiques ranging in price from $50 to $50,000, Turner-Yamamoto said.
Attendees will also get the chance to participate in a local version of “Antiques Road Show” with dealers on hand to value personal antiques.
In addition to antique dealers, the show will include the exhibit Treasures of the Chesapeake. On loan from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the exhibit features decorative arts and furnishings from port cities including Alexandria and Georgetown.
The theme, Turner-Yamamoto said, is a fitting one for Washington.
“All of the [Chesapeake] ports supported this whole region,” she said. “They were the centers. These are where the fine things were made.”
