Antiques lovers, shoppers, browsers and designers are invited to the 50th Anniversary Hinsdale Antiques Show, “Celebrate!” The milestone event takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12, 13 and 14, at The Community House in Hinsdale, 415 W. Eighth St., Hinsdale.

The longest-running show of its kind in the region, it is renowned for attracting the country’s top exhibitors in period English, Continental, American and Oriental pieces. It presents 1800s and 1900s furniture and accessories, including jewelry. Each collection is screened for authenticity and integrity.

Co-chaired by Regina Melbourne and Carole Quick, both of Hinsdale, the show runs from: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14.
 
Preliminary peek

In addition to the three-day show, a gala Preview Party will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11. Sponsored by Harris Bank, the event is chaired by Sally Porter and Ly Hotchkin and catered by Chicago’s Calihan Catering which, again in 2007, won the prestigious Jean Banchet Award for Best Chicago Caterer.

Preview Party guests have first buying opportunities the night before the show opening, and reservations currently are being taken. Also at the Preview Party, a champagne reception for platinum patrons, community partners and exhibitors will take place from 6 to 7 p.m.

And in honor of the show’s half-century milestone, exhibitors are donating 10 percent of their individual proceeds from the Preview Party to The Community House.

What’s new?

Show attendees will find a fresh floor-plan configuration for the entire show, which features three days of special events and education, as well as opportunities to start and to add to personal collections. An addition to the show is the first-floor decorative design room, crafted artistically by faux artist Caryn Akins and trompe l’oeil artist Robert Ryan, with daily changes in furniture and accessories as coordinated by the exhibitors.

Garden exhibitors are new to the anniversary show. The historical upstairs venue features the popular Attic, a retail shop, selling furniture, accessories and wares donated by the community and priced very reasonably, said organizers.
 
Dallas designer Cathy Kincaid

Designer Cathy Kincaid from Dallas, Texas, will speak on “Livable Luxury: The Art of Making a House a Home” at the speaker’s luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12.

Named one of “Best Decorators” in Dallas by D Home for the past three years, Kincaid is a frequent contributor to Southern Accents and other design publications.

“Cathy Kincaid has a remarkable ability to help her listeners visualize a space and then to sense what her suggested options will do to change both aesthetic and function,” said Bill Walker, proprietor of Barley Twist in Oak Park. “Those fortunate enough to hear her will walk away with a richer understanding of design and a more critical eye.”

The reservations-only luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m., and Kincaid will speak from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Following the talk, a book signing by both Kincaid and Coleman will take place from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. The book will be for sale but is not included in the luncheon price.
 
Complimentary design events

A furniture restoration presentation will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12, in Kettering Hall and will be repeated from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, in the Field House. Bill Belmonte of Best Way in Hodgkins and Tom Wisshack of Oak Park will be on hand for consultations with sample furniture pieces displayed at varying stages of restoration.

Designers Marilyn Akins, Mary Anne Herring and Janie Petkus will present 30-minute lectures on design topics from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13.

From 2:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, Dr. Brian Coleman will present a talk on “The Psychology of Color.” He will discuss and demonstrate the ways color can alter mood and create a particular ambiance in a room.

Author David Lindquist will give a lecture titled “Antique Furniture Analysis: How to Examine and Value Each Piece” from  3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. The interactive discussion will include a look at chests, tables and chairs for pointers on authenticating and evaluating pieces.

Lindquist, who owns Whitehall Antiques, Chapel Hill, N.C., is entering his 21st year of friendship and participation with The Community House, as well as giving his sixth lecture for the Hinsdale Antiques Show. He has written seven books on antiques, participated in 35 HGTV programs, served as president of the National Association of Dealers in Antiques and has participated for 28 years in the National Symposium on Antiques in North Carolina.
 
Afternoon tea and/or gospel music

New this year is an Afternoon Traditional Tea from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. Each designed tea table will have its own “personality,” and a harpist from the West Suburban Symphony will perform. Jean True Catering will provide light finger foods to accompany tea for a relaxing interlude between shopping and lectures.

An event for the entire family, the Sunday Champagne Gospel Brunch is planned for 11:30 a.m. Sept. 14. The music of Bryant Jones and Chosen of Chicago’s House of Blues will be featured. Jones and his singers have traveled extensively both in the United States and Europe.
 
Featuring fragrance and memories

A long-standing tradition of the Hinsdale Antiques Show is fresh flowers suffusing every room. The seasonal blooms are from the Hinsdale gardens of Mary Grace Burke, Susan Beard, Johanna Vernick and others. Volunteers then create arrangements which are given to each exhibitor as a thank you and for booth display. This year, Phillips Flowers has generously offered to supplement the florals.

“In recognition of the 50th milestone,” said Carole Quick, co-chair, “a specially created Memory Hall will display photos and memorabilia from a half century of successful antiques shows. We know guests will enjoy this aspect of the show.”

The Antiques Café and Coffee Shop will be open all three days.

Antiques Show ticket prices follow:
• Admission costs $10; one ticket is good for all three days;
• Preview Party, $125 through Aug. 31, $150 starting Sept. 1;
• Elegant Friday luncheon with speaker Cathy Kincaid: $55 per person, $600 for a premium table of eight;
• Saturday afternoon tea, $20; and
• Sunday Gospel Brunch: $45 per person, $15 for children younger than 10, $500 for a premium table of eight.

Proceeds from the Hinsdale Antiques Show benefit The Community House, a nonprofit agency providing counseling, education, recreation and volunteer opportunities for eight communities in the western suburbs of Chicago: Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Darien, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Westmont and Willowbrook.

“Income from the annual Antiques Show represents approximately 25 percent of the total fundraising support for The Community House,” said Heather Graves, development director.

“The Community House is the mortar that holds together the bricks of the community,” said Life Trustee Fred Krehbiel. “It’s the only organization in the area that reaches out to the full spectrum of people.”

Tickets to the show are available online at www.HinsdaleAntiquesShow.org. For more information, call (630) 323-7500.