The 62nd Boothbay Region Antiques Show & Sale returns to the Boothbay Common this Saturday, July 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a significant change this year. This year’s show will have about 25 dealers from four different states displaying and selling fine antique furniture, country Americana, primitives, jewelry, silver, decorative arts, linens, Christmas antiques, books, and oriental rugs.

The Boothbay Antiques Show has been a favorite event in this region for decades with local and summer residents and visitors from all over the Midcoast coming to the Boothbay region specifically to see and buy antiques and experience a Maine tradition.

The antiques almost did not happen. The Boothbay selectman passed an ordinance which does no allow any events taking place on the Common to charge admission. The show managers stated that they were given permission to have the show back in January, but they were only told about the change in admission policy in late May. By that time, they and their exhibitors had already made motel reservations, they had ordered a large tent, and had been advertising the show throughout New England. To cancel the show would have been difficult on the exhibitors, many of whom had chosen to exhibitor in the Boothbay Show over other shows in New England. So the antiques show had a choice of canceling or having the show on an “admission by donations” basis. The show managers have decided to try to have the show this year on that basis and see how it goes. The Boothbay Community Center is also affected because as the sponsors of the show, they were to receive a portion of the admissions money; now that the show cannot charge an admission, the amount will be determined by the donations that customers are willing to make at the door. In the past, the admissions, and now voluntary donations, also helps to pay for the advertising, the tent and table rentals and other expenses. This admission to the show is free to everyone and donations are up to each individual attending.

The antiques show will open promptly at 10 a.m. on Saturday.