Just like spring bulbs, outdoor antiques shows are starting to pop up this month. Here are two favorites:
 
May 2-4: The 42nd Shenandoah (Virginia) Antiques Expo will feature 450 dealers setting up both inside and outside at the Augusta Expoland fairgrounds in Fishersville, Virginia. “We are known for good, high-end country furniture,” says show manager Martha Stokes, who says some West Coast dealers are coming to do both the Shenandoah show and Brimfield. The range of offerings includes everything from 1950s collectibles to early period furniture, with English and European antiques as well. Held in May and October for the past 20 years, the Shenandoah show includes an early buying session ($10) all day Friday while dealers set up; regular admission is Saturday and Sunday. For information, check www.heritagepromotions.net.
 
May 13–18: The Brimfield (Massachusetts) Antiques and Flea Market Shows have become annual meccas for lovers of antiques and collectibles in part because of the sheer volume of offerings, and in part because the show is totally outdoors in a beautiful part of the country. Brimfield collectively refers to more than 20 different shows that take place on hundreds of fields in this small central Massachusetts town. Some 5,000 dealers are expected to display their wares this May (the Brimfield event also happens in July and September). Some fields have free admission; others require a gate fee; regular attendees develop preferences over the years. Some of the better known fields/shows at Brimfield are Heart-O-the-Mart (www.brimfield-hotm.com), which opens Wednesday; May’s (www.maysbrimfield.com), which opens Thursday; and J & J Promotions (www.jandj-brimfield.com), which opens Friday.  Best tip: Bring a rolling cart for your finds, and a straw hat for your style.