Country Living Fair: What to Know Before You Go—and Why One Day Isn’t Enough

I’m still thinking about our weekend at the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, New York, and already telling friends they need to put this one on their list for next year. The antiquing was incredible, with extraordinary booth displays and dealers who had traveled from around the country, but what surprised me most was how much more there was to experience beyond the shopping. We went for one day and quickly realized this is a fair worth giving two, if not three, days—time to shop, enjoy the speakers, music, book signings, and workshops, and still leave room to wander the streets of Rhinebeck and explore nearby Millbrook.

Country Living Fair 2026 Returns to Rhinebeck, New York

I first heard about the Country Living Fair almost by accident while visiting the Vintage Bazaar New England in Mystic, Connecticut, this past summer. A vintage vendor told me about the fair, which was returning to Rhinebeck after a long hiatus, and that was really all it took. I booked a Thursday night at the historic Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn with a simple plan: arrive Thursday, shop the fair Friday, and head home.

Then my friend Bernadette decided to join me, and our one-night antiquing trip quickly grew into a full weekend away.

Staying at the Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn

The Beekman Arms put us right in the heart of downtown Rhinebeck, just a short drive from the Country Living Fair. Known as America’s oldest continuously operating inn, it’s filled with historic character, from its antique-styled guest rooms to the old tavern and restaurant downstairs. Breakfast was included with our stay, and the location couldn’t have been better—we could leave the car behind and walk to Rhinebeck’s shops and restaurants before heading over to the fairgrounds.

A Little Time in Downtown Rhinebeck

Rhinebeck was one of the unexpected bonuses of the trip. It’s a charming, completely walkable Hudson Valley town filled with shops, cafés, and restaurants, and you’ll definitely want to leave room in your Country Living Fair plans to enjoy it. We had dinner Thursday night at Le Petit Bistro, met friends for drinks, browsed the shops, and quickly wished we had more time in town.

My tip: Stay downtown if you can, park the car and walk around Rhinebeck, then drive to the fairgrounds when you’re ready for the Country Living Fair.

Our First Morning at the Country Living Fair

After breakfast at the Beekman—and meeting Miss Mustard Seed, which was a pretty fun way to start the morning—we headed to the Country Living Fair for our 8:30 VIP entry. I had bought the VIP tickets mostly because I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Would parking be a nightmare? Would we be hauling our finds half a mile back to the car? I’d been to enough large antique markets to know that a little planning can make or break the day.

But once we walked in, all of that went out the window. This place was fabulous. Barn after barn was filled with incredible vintage displays, and within minutes we were looking at each other like, okay, this is going to be good. Everywhere we turned, there was another booth we wanted to explore. We hadn’t been there long before Bernadette, and I knew we’d seriously underestimated this fair, and the amount of time we should have given it.

This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will earn us commission.

Country Living Fair Vintage Booths: The Eye Candy Begins

I know I’ve already mentioned the booths, but they deserve a closer look. I can get overwhelmed at enormous antique markets like Brimfield, and I never felt that way at the Country Living Fair. There was a sense of hospitality to these booths; they were beautifully styled, inviting, and somehow drew you right in, one after another.

And the scale! Massive old store counters, kitchen islands, apothecary cabinets, and hutches were mixed with architectural salvage, upholstered chairs, vintage signs, silver, lamps, artwork, mannequins—even antique cars and Wagoneers. You could tell these vendors had put an enormous amount of work into creating their spaces before any of us ever walked through the doors.

I could have photographed these booths all day—and judging by my camera roll, I nearly did.

The Booth I Kept Coming Back To

One booth in particular had me. It was filled with that Swedish cottage look I’m always drawn to; old painted pieces, beautiful reds, blues, and whites, and European finds that felt right at home with so many things I already collect.

This is where I found the Belgian coat rack (sitting pretty on top of that hutch) that’s headed for my scullery, a little copper snowflake cookie cutter for winter, and one of my favorite finds of the weekend: an old Belgian table-edge cutting board. It has a raised back and a lower lip that catches the edge of the table, almost hugging it in place. I’d never found one quite like it, and I knew exactly where I wanted to use it.

Do you love Scandinavian cottages as much as I do? You may enjoy some of these reader favorites that inspire me every day.

What Came Home with Me from the Country Living Fair

In addition to the finds from my favorite Scandinavian cottage-style booth, a few other pieces came home with me.

Two wooden snow geese caught my eye in another booth, along with a beautiful pair of antique women’s gloves with tiny pearl buttons (for my newly found antique dressing table) and four pieces of purple-and-white transferware with a matching platter. The lavender and purple patterns are much harder to come across than the blues and browns I usually see, so finding several pieces together was a treat.

And One Find Came Signed

One of my favorite things I brought home wasn’t an antique at all. I bought a copy of Miss Mustard Seed’s book and had Marian Parsons sign it during one of the book signings at the fair. And this is exactly what I mean when I say the Country Living Fair is about more than antiquing; there were authors, speakers, workshops, music, and events happening throughout the day that we barely had time to touch.

What We’ll Do Differently Next Year

By the time we left the Country Living Fair Friday afternoon, Bernadette and I had already decided we were coming back next year—and one day definitely wasn’t going to cut it.

Next time, we’ll plan for at least two days at the fair, and possibly three. I’d still make that first Friday morning all about shopping: arrive early, go through the booths while everything is fresh, and check any larger purchases so we don’t have to think about them again until we’re ready to leave. Then I’d give myself another day to go back through favorite booths and actually make time for the speakers, book signings, workshops, and live music we mostly missed this time around.

Saturday is definitely the day I’d set aside for that, when the fair’s biggest speakers and much of the entertainment take center stage.

For a first visit to Rhinebeck, I’d absolutely recommend staying at the historic Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn. The downtown location simply can’t be beat, and staying at such a historic inn felt like part of the Rhinebeck experience itself. Next year, I think we’ll mix things up and try one of the other beautiful inns in the Hudson Valley, just for something different.

And now there’s another complication: we fell in love with Millbrook. It’s only about a 20-minute drive from Rhinebeck, and after spending Saturday morning there thrifting and wandering around town, it officially made its way onto next year’s itinerary, too.

Of course, one particularly memorable thing happened in Millbrook that might have had something to do with that…

The Saturday Morning We Ran Into Martha Stewart

Saturday morning, we headed to Millbrook, about 20 minutes from Rhinebeck, where we had 11 a.m. tickets to the annual Clove Brook Farm tag sale. We arrived early enough for breakfast and a little walking around town, which was especially beautiful with the fall foliage in full color.

With some time to spare, Bernadette spotted a thrift store and wanted to go in. She came out with an old pudding mold; I came out carrying a fabulous needlepoint rug, and we started walking up the hill toward an antique shop.

A woman nearby overheard us talking and told us the antique shop didn’t open until 11.

Then she added, “But that’s Martha Stewart.”

And there she was, just a few feet in front of us.

Thank goodness for Bernadette, because she walked right up and said hello. Martha immediately noticed the pudding mold in her hands and wanted to know where she’d found it. When Bernadette told her about the thrift store, Martha was surprised there was one in town. Then she spotted my needlepoint rug and wanted to know about that, too.

We chatted for a few minutes, took photos, and she couldn’t have been nicer. She even moved us to a different spot because she thought the light would be better for the pictures. And then, after we pointed her in the right direction, Martha Stewart headed off to check out the thrift store herself.

We were absolutely giddy. Of all the things we thought might happen during our Country Living Fair weekend, running into Martha Stewart on a sidewalk in Millbrook while carrying our thrift-store finds certainly wasn’t one of them.

And here’s the funny thing: later that day, as much as we enjoyed the Clove Brook Farm tag sale, we both wished we’d had another day at the Country Living Fair. But had we changed our plans, we never would have been standing on that sidewalk in Millbrook with our thrifted finds when Martha Stewart walked by.

So maybe our weekend worked out exactly as it was supposed to.

Next Year, We’re Making It a Three-Day Weekend

Between the Country Living Fair, Rhinebeck, Millbrook, the speakers and workshops we missed, and all those booths I’d happily wander through again, I’ve changed my mind about two days.

Give me three.

Fall in the Hudson Valley was spectacular; the antiquing was some of the best I’ve experienced, and there was far more to do than we ever expected when we booked that first Thursday night in Rhinebeck.

Country Living Fair, we’ll see you next year.

Keep Antiquing Around New England

If the Country Living Fair has you ready for another antiquing trip, explore more of my favorite stops throughout New England. Antiquing in New England: A Shop, a Stay, a Find is where I share the antique shops and markets worth pulling over for, the inns I’d stay in again, and the finds that make their way home with me.

Pin it for later!