The Antiques & Garden Fair returns for the 13th year to the blooming grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden, April 19 – 21, with the theme of “Color in the Garden: An Artist’s View” and a great speaker line-up. In addition to lectures and panel discussions, attendees may peruse antique garden furnishings, botanical art and home and garden design, from more than 100 dealers.
L.A. based interior designer and White House decorator Michael S. Smith will be the fair’s honorary chair and guest lecturer. His lecture, titled “Building Beauty,” is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 19.
The fair’s second guest lecturer is Charles Stick, a Virginia landscape designer who grew up in Western Springs, Illinois. The lecture, titled “Looking at Gardens,” is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 20.
Boles and Marcantonio
A style blogger panel entitled “Living with Color: Style Bloggers’ Musings on Super Chic Living” is set for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, featuring Jennifer Boles of The Peak of Chic, Marisa Marcantonio of Stylebeat, and design historian Emily Evans Eerdmans. Julia Reed, contributing editor for Newsweek and senior writer for Vogue, will moderate the discussion. Each of these women will discuss her unique viewpoint on living and entertaining with style, including favorite finds for the home.
On Sunday, April 21 at 11:00 a.m., Jeanne Pinsof Nolan from The Organic Gardener will give a lecture titled “From the Ground Up.” Nolan, a well-known educator, author and consultant, has helped hundreds of families develop gardens that are beautiful, productive, and uniquely suited to their homes and lifestyles. Her book is forthcoming from Random House in the spring of 2013.
Indoor display gardens will be donated and installed by premier landscape designers, including Craig Bergmann Landscape Design, Inc., William Heffernan Landscapes, Mariani Landscape, The Organic Gardener, and Maria Smithburg with Manfredini Landscaping & Design.
There will be a special preview evening on Thursday, April 18 featuring priority shopping and elegant fare, and will be co-chaired by Kimberly and Randy Burt, Peggy and Jack Crowe, Kathy and Chris Deveny, and Kate and J.T. Fitzgerald. Preview tickets begin at $250 and are available online or by phone at (847) 835-6944.
Fair hours are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Advance tickets are available here, or in person at the Visitor Center. Tickets purchased on or before April 18 are $15; after April 18 tickets are $18. Garden members receive $3 off each ticket price. A three-day pass is $20 for all. Children under age 16 are free with an adult.
Tickets purchased on or before April 18 for either the Smith or Stick lecture are $65; after April 18, they are $70. A combination ticket for the Smith and Stick lectures is available for $105. Garden members receive $5 off each listed price. Lecture ticket purchase includes a three-day Fair pass.
Tickets for the blogger panel and Nolan lecture purchased on or before April 18 are $35 each; after April 18, tickets are $40 each. Garden members receive $5 off each listed price. Lecture ticket purchase includes a one-day Fair ticket for the day of the lecture.
All proceeds from the fair benefit the Chicago Botanic Garden’s conservation, education and research programs.
The principal sponsor of the 2013 Antiques & Garden Fair is BMO Harris Bank. Additional supporters include: American Airlines, Bonterra Organic Vineyards and Plante Moran. The Fair is produced in conjunction with Stella Show Mgmt. Co., New York. Co-producers of the 2013 Antiques & Garden Fair are Cathy Busch, Susan Canmann, Jen Kasten, Donna LaPietra, Jane O’Neil and Peggy Swartchild; artistic director is Bill Heffernan.
