More than 60 of the nation’s most distinguished antiques dealers will descend on Wilmington’s Chase Center on the Riverfront November 5–7 to entice both collectors and the merely curious with stunning displays of furniture, rugs, porcelain, silver, and more at the 47th annual Delaware Antiques Show. Martha Stewart will kick off the event with a lecture at November 4’s Opening Night Party (for Sponsor-level ticket holders only).

Organized by Winterthur as a benefit for educational programming at the museum, the Delaware Antiques Show is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country—and the only show offering three full days of tax-free shopping. The Delaware Antiques Show is made possible by Wilmington Trust and the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.

Opening Night Party and Keynote Lecture by Martha Stewart Thursday, November 4, 5:00 pm.

Opening Night is a gala event providing early-access shopping for the show’s finest items and a chance to win a $2,500 show voucher, courtesy of Freeman’s Auctioneers and Appraisers. Sponsor-level ticket holders will be treated to a lecture by Martha Stewart, whose name is synonymous with gracious living. A long-time antiques enthusiast, Stewart has “had more influence on how Americans eat, entertain, and decorate their homes and gardens than any one person in our history,” according to the Academy of Achievement. The Opening Night Party is sponsored by Wilmington Trust. Martha Stewart’s lecture is sponsored by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.

Special Lecture by Barbara Israel Friday, November 5, 10:00 am (show opens at 11:00 am)
Included with admission

Barbara Israel is the founder of Israel Garden Antiques and a widely-recognized authority on antique garden ornaments. Israel will lecture on the golden age of American gardens (1890–1940), when the ambitions of landowners coalesced with the ideas of designers to produce magnificent settings decorated with equally lavish objects. Israel will focus on the ornaments that adorned these gardens and the circumstances that encouraged these grand collections. Sponsored by Main Line Today and Delaware Today.

Special Lecture by Wendy Cooper and Lisa Minardi Saturday, November 6, 2:00 pm
Included with admission

Winterthur curators Wendy Cooper and Lisa Minardi will provide an overview of their forthcoming exhibition Paint, Pattern & People: Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania, 1725–1850, to open at Winterthur on April 2, 2011 and run through January 8, 2012. Focused on the furniture and the people who made and owned it, this groundbreaking show and its accompanying publication will offer a comprehensive look at the region’s colorful and diverse furniture traditions. Sponsored by The Hunt Magazine.

Special Loan Exhibition: Dipped, Dripped & Dug: English Industrial Slipware from Winterthur & Independence National Historical Park

This exhibition features boldly ornamented English mocha and dipped ware from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Bringing together earthenware from Winterthur Museum and the INHP’s National Constitution Center Archaeological Site in Philadelphia, the display is organized primarily by decorative techniques and motifs. The Winterthur objects in this display have remained above ground throughout their existence and provide fascinating contrasts and parallels to the often fragmentary evidence excavated by the National Park Service. Following the Delaware Antiques Show, this display will be reinstalled in Winterthur’s Ceramics and Glass Gallery, to be on view through late 2011.

Upgrade to See Betsy Ross Exhibition New this year! Visit Winterthur’s exhibition Betsy Ross: The Life Behind the Legend (on view October 2–January 2) for a $10 upgrade per person with your Delaware Antiques Show ticket. Upgrade includes shuttle service from the Chase Center on the Riverfront and an introductory tour of the house.

Delaware Antiques Show hours: 11:00 am–6:00 pm, Friday, November 5; 11:00 am–6:00 pm,
Saturday, November 6; and 11:00 am–5:00 pm, Sunday, November 7. General admission tickets,
good for all three days of the show, are $15 ($13 for Winterthur Members), and can be purchased
on-site during the show hours, online at winterthur.org/das, or by calling 800.448.3883.
Children under 12 are admitted free. The Chase Center on the Riverfront is located at 800 South
Madison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 and offers unlimited free parking.