National dealers coming for antique fair

The Daily Inter Lake

Antique dealers from across the country will gather at the O'Shaughnessy Center from Friday through Sunday for the fifth annual Big Sky Country Antique Fair.

Among the returning antique dealers is American Garage of Los Angeles, which features American country, old hickory, cabin and lodge antiques, show organizer Karen Monaghan said.

New this year is Chine' Antiques, whose owners have just returned from France and Italy with a variety of European pieces. Cobwebs is another newcomer. That firm features pottery and china.

Hanging lighting, Victorian bird cages, bronzes, clocks and pictures are some of the antiques that Rolling R's of California has to offer. Other out-of-area dealers include Antique Interiors (painted furniture, cabin antiques, folk art and lighting); Reminisce Antiques (figural napkin rings, Victorian silver and majolica, doorstops and decoys) and Prints with a Past (original prints dating from the late 1700s to early 1900s); Michael Caden Gallery of Cody, Wyo. (vintage photographs); and Hamilton-Linscott of Sacramento, Calif.

Montana dealers include Flathead Gallery and Somers Antiques, both of Somers; 1776 Antiques of Missoula; Ragtime, Q-T Collectables and Pinecreek Antiques of Livingston; and Cock-a-doodle-doo! Antiques of Whitefish.

Mrs. D's Antiques is new to the show from Great Falls and is purveying Roseville and McCoy pottery, chintzware, linens and kitchen collectibles.

The O'Shaughnessy Center, 1 Central Ave., in Whitefish, is across from Depot Park. The fair begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday with an evening gala that includes live classical music, refreshments, hors d' oeuvres and early buying. Tickets are $15 at the door. The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5; children 12 and younger are free.

Visit www.bigskycountryantiquefair.com for more information and photos from past years' events.