The best people watching is at a defunct livestock pen in Maine

Welcome to Second Story, a newsletter for people who love old houses and weekends in Maine. New here? Subscribe below! Today’s post is a recap of the Antiques Super Bowl.

“Will we see you at the early bird hour in Blue Hill?” The charming designer Sarah Magness said over cocktails at Emily Eerdmans’s Pink Palace. “Get there early, bring cash, and have your game face on!”

Sarah was talking about the Jonathan Fisher House Antiques Show, the scrappy al fresco cousin of the Downeast Art & Antiques Show. The one-day-only sale (if you’re reading this, it’s over—mark your calendars for next year!) typically opens at 9, but anyone willing to pay a whopping $15 instead of the regular $10 gets access at 8.

Those lining up for a first bite at the apple—housed in an unused animal pen at the Blue Hill Fairground—included Gil Schafer, Alexander Widener, the aforementioned Sarah Magness (apparently we missed all the good stuff by about 15 mins, she said), Christopher Spitzmiller, and none other than Martha Stewart in a head-to-toe green ensemble topped with a straw hat. Of course, this was the day when I threw on god knows what and looked like a wayward camp kid.

Sure, there were some beautiful pieces (although many remarked that prices across the board trailed high this year), but the best part was the people watching. Unmatched!

Did you see Martha? There she is! I nearly ran her over on my way to that library stool!

Go, even if you don’t plan to buy anything. It was a highlight of our weekend in Maine, which included a visit to the most inspiring house I’ve seen in a long time. I can’t wait to tell you more.