Bunny WilliamsBy Donna Cornelius
Football, falling leaves and fall festivals all are favorite autumn activities in the South, and in Birmingham, there’s another event that’s sure to boost your seasonal enthusiasm as the temperatures fall.
This year marks the 18th anniversary of Antiques at the Gardens, an antiques show and sale that brings nationally and internationally acclaimed designers and dealers to the Magic City. The show, hosted by Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, is set this year for Oct. 3-6. That’s when the always-beautiful grounds of the Gardens become a vibrant scene of learning, looking and shopping.
Presented by McCorquodale Transfer and featuring design sponsor Lee Jofa, the 2024 edition of Antiques at the Gardens includes talks by interior designers, floral designers, architects and landscape architects.
Also on hand will be 25 dealers offering carefully curated antique furniture, fine art, vintage and fine jewelry, silver, rugs and textiles, home decor, and garden accessories.
In addition to welcoming back show favorites such as Hedgerow Antiques, Piggy Kitchen, Roger D. Winter Ltd. and others, attendees will meet five new dealers. Shopping hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The weekend starts Oct. 3 with Gala in the Gardens, an elegant soiree honoring longtime BBG supporter William R. “Bill” Ireland Jr. Guests will enter the party venue via an entryway created by landscape designer Norman K. Johnson and by Will Newton and Kate Newton of Landscape Services.
Oct. 4 has the popular “Shop the Show” with design expert Stacey Bewkes.
The show’s Red Diamond Lecture Series, hosted by Richard Keith Langham, opens with a morning keynote talk, “Life in the Garden,” by acclaimed garden designer Bunny Williams. In the afternoon, award-winning architect Gil Schafer will speak on “Building a Home to Last.”
On Oct. 5, Veranda magazine Editor in Chief Steele Marcoux will moderate an interactive panel on “The Future of Traditional Design” with interior designers and design experts Elizabeth Lawrence, Rudy Saunders and Elizabeth Pyne Singer. In the afternoon, interior design tastemakers Barry Dixon, Mary McDonald and Michelle Nussbaumer will discuss “Influence and Inspiration” in a panel moderated by Margot Shaw, editor in chief of Flower magazine. The afternoon ends with a floral workshop by Calvert Crary, executive director of FlowerSchool New York and FlowerSchool Los Angeles.
The last day of the show, Oct. 6, begins with keynote speaker Alexa Hampton sharing her thoughts on “Design, Style and Influence.” The show wraps up that afternoon with a panel on “Designing a Home Together,” featuring James F. Carter, Richard Keith Langham and Ben Page and moderated by Michael Diaz Griffith, executive director and CEO of Design Leadership Network.
Talks will be followed by book signings, with books available for purchase at Leaf & Petal before and during the show.
Proceeds from Antiques at the Gardens support the efforts of the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, whose mission is to protect, nurture and share the wonders of the Gardens.
Tickets for the show and special events are on sale now. A limited number of tickets are available for the gala, special events and lectures.
For tickets, a detailed show schedule, speaker bios and dealer information, visit bbgardens.org/antiques. Follow show announcements and updates on Facebook and Instagram @antiquesgardensbham.
English (US)