By Donna Cornelius
Through her TV shows, website and magazine, Martha Stewart has taught even the least domestic among us how to bake the perfect pie, properly fold a fitted sheet, and fancy up our doors with seasonal wreaths.
Next month, those who attend Antiques at The Gardens can learn from Stewart in person. She’ll headline the 13th edition of the annual antiques show and educational event, set for Oct. 4-7 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Stewart and Kevin Sharkey, left, are the featured speakers at the show’s Red Diamond Lecture Series. The co-authors of “Martha’s Flowers: A Practical Guide to Growing, Gathering, and Enjoying” will interview each other at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 5.
Hosted by Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Antiques at The Gardens brings in dealers and style experts from close to home and across the country. The four-day show gives those who attend a chance to buy, get inspired – and support the Gardens, too.
This year, the show honors Cameron and Derrill Crowe, members of Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens and longtime BBG supporters.
Here’s what to expect at this year’s event:
Throughout the Show:
Tastemakers are design experts who create inspiring displays that will be open each day of the show. This year’s lineup includes Amy Berry Design, Blackjack Horticulture, Hundley Hilton Interiors, Sean Anderson Design and Tippett Sease Baker Architecture.
Dealers at the show will be Ann Williams Antiques and Design, Antique Cupboard, Beth Poindexter Luxe, Beverly McNeil Gallery, Black Sheep Antiques, Blackwell Botanicals, D.R. Grissom Collection Estate and Fine Jewelry, Dana Kelly Oriental Rugs, Inc., Edwin C. Skinner, Gum Tree Farm Designs, Hedgerow Antiques, Kimball and Bean, Madison James, McDonough Fine Art, McKenzie Dove, Nashville Rug Gallery, Smith van Osdelle Antiques, Thomas M. Fortner Antiques, Very Vintage Villa, Vieuxtemps Porcelain, Weston Farms and Whitehall Antiques.
Thursday, Oct. 4
Kicking off the show is Tastebuds, sponsored by Flower magazine. The featured speaker will be Bettie Bearden Pardee, an author, lecturer and garden connoisseur from Newport, Rhode Island. Her talk will be followed by a panel discussion that includes Mimi Brown, Mary Hayward Spotswood Eudailey, Catherine B. Jones and Margaret Zainey Roux. Kirk Reed Forrester is the moderator. It’s from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 4. The cost is $30 and includes a boxed lunch and show readmission.
Antiques at The Gardens will have a festive opening night with Gala in The Gardens, a black-tie preview of the show, from 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $175 per person and include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music by Rhythm Nation and weekend show readmission.
Friday, Oct. 5
The show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The first Red Diamond Lecture Series event featuring Martha Stewart interviewing co-author Kevin Sharkey is from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The co-authors’ roles will be reversed when Sharkey interviews Stewart from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Premium seating for each session is $250, and general admission is $150. Both tickets include a copy of the book, a boxed lunch and three-day show admission.
The Red Diamond Champagne Reception is from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 6
The show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Taste in Spades returns with a panel moderated by show ambassador Richard Keith Langham. Meg Braff, Suzanne Kasler, Nick Olsen and Keith Summerour will be participating on the panel from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $40 and includes lunch and show admission.
Braff will lead a Shop the Show event from 9 to 10 a.m. The cost is $30 and includes show admission.
Erin Weston of Weston Farms will lead a Gold Finch Longleaf Bouquet Workshop at 2 p.m. The workshop is $40 and includes show admission.
Sunday, Oct. 7
Antiques at The Gardens ends with a flourish with Southern Sunday, when the public show is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Noted author and columnist Julia Reed will host a brunch and book signing from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $40 and includes show admission.
Robert LeLeux will lead a Tastemaker panel discussion featuring Amy Berry Design, Hundley Hilton Interiors, Sean Anderson Design and Tippett Sease Baker Architecture from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The session is free with show admission.
Attraction and Outdoor Classroom
Proceeds from Antiques at The Gardens support the work of the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, including education and outreach programs for all ages. Since 2006, the event has raised more than $4.6 million for free, curriculum-based educational programming for Birmingham and Bessemer schoolchildren.
Education programs are held year-round, and more than 10,000 school children on average annually participate in free science curriculum-based field trips. More than 350,000 people visit The Gardens each year, and admission is free.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens in 2016 was named one of the top three free attractions in America by USA Today.