Review and Photos by R. Scudder Smith

ADAMSTOWN, PENN. – It was raining; no, it was pouring, early Sunday morning, September 17, but that did not stop the dealers from arriving around 5 am at Renningers to exhibit their wares in the pavilion where all 60 tables were sold out.

“We also had some dealers coming to exhibit without cover, and even more showed up after the rain stopped,” Brian Block, controller and field manager, said. He also mentioned that the weather did not hold back those who came to shop, noting that “around 8,000 visitors showed up during the day.”

“Seven years ago we decided to have one booth with fresh vegetables, homemade pies and cakes, and flowers, and she is still here and very popular,” Brian said. He mentioned that other vendors have tried to exhibit with new things, such as socks, T-shirts and cheap watches, but all have and will always be refused space. “We started with just antiques in September 1967, and that is what we are known for,” he said.

A large building, situated near the road and taking up much of the 20-plus acres Renningers covers, is home to 130 vendors who fill 250 booths, often with several dealers sharing one large space. As with the outside area, inside is also open year-round, every Sunday from 7:30 am to 4 pm. Here, small objects, such as coins, jewelry and stamps, are mixed with larger pieces, such as beds, chests of drawers, carousel figures and more furniture. “Dealers are constantly changing inventory, which is why we have people coming week after week to shop the booths,” Brian said.

Part of this celebration, “a low-key one,” Brian added, was complimentary coffee, pastry and candy, and visitors were invited to spin a wheel that landed on several gifts, including coffee mugs, T-shirts, pens, hats, totes and special banks that some day might become a collector’s item. Also high-end cigars were offered to smokers of legal age.

Renningers is known for its Extravaganzas, and two are right around the corner. One will be celebrated at the Kutztown location on September 28-30, Thursday-Saturday, and Adamstown will pick up its Extravaganza on September 30-October 1, Saturday and Sunday. The next series of Extravaganzas will be in 2018 at the end of April, end of June and the end of September, at both locations.

For more information, Adamstown at 717-336-2177, www.renningers.net; Kutztown, 610-683-6848, www.renningers.com.