I love a good story, especially the kind that is felt rather than told. There are stories in my parents’ old mantle clock, the hand-embroidered linens from my mother-in-law, the dry sink where I store my candlesticks, and the framed sheet music my Hungarian grandpa once used when he played his fiddle. There are stories in the shot glasses found in the hand-crafted bar in my grandparents’ basement, not to mention the bar itself which my uncle saved from demolition, lovingly restored and now keeps safe in his own basement. Oh, if old things could talk…!
I’m a firm believer that our past does tell stories through certain precious pieces that pass from generation to generation, and other items that lose their original owners and end up finding a new home and purpose elsewhere. If you like old treasures, and the stories they inspire, you will love the annual Apex PeakTique Antiques and Collectibles Festival!
An Idea Takes Shape
The antiques and collectibles festival started in 2017 as a fundraising idea. At the time, Mack Thorpe, who owns and runs The Rusty Bucket with his wife, Pam, was the president of the Apex Historical Society and a member of the Apex Downtown Business Association (ADBA). Both organizations were looking for a fundraiser. The Apex town calendar was filled with festivals and special events from May through December, but there was a noticeable gap during the spring months.
“One day, a light went off in my head,” Thorpe tells us. “Pam and I had been getting pressure to have The Rusty Bucket sponsor an antiques festival. I thought, instead of promoting it as a business for profit, it would be better if we did it as a nonprofit. I took ‘peak of good living’ and ‘antique’ and made ‘PeakTique.’ I went to the board of the ADBA and said, ‘I have an idea.’ They said, ‘Run with it.'”
Given that Apex had never hosted an antiques and collectibles show before, the first order of business was to find dealers to participate. Thorpe turned to friends and fellow antiques dealer Bob and Peggy Mowrey of Hickory Mountain Antiques. He says, “There were shows in Chapel Hill and Pittsboro, but not in Apex. Bob does a lot of shows and was saying we should have [our own]. As a mentor, he has been a big help to me. The only other show was in Liberty, North Carolina. The Liberty Antiques Festival is one of the biggest shows in the country, every April and September, on about 10 acres. Pam and I created a little flyer and Bob had a booth there. He passed out flyers and Pam and I spoke to every single antiques dealer at Liberty. It took us all day long to get around to everybody, and out of that we got 14 dealers.”
Adding Some Polish
The first Apex PeakTique Antiques and Collectibles Festival drew nearly 700 attendees over two days in April 2017 when 14 antiques dealers set up tents in a gravel parking lot across from the Apex Police Station. In 2018 and 2019, the festival was held at Norris Park with dealer participation and attendance growing each year. Last year, 1,300 visitors came to see 20 dealers, and, at customers’ request, the event expanded to include Sunday as well. This year, Thorpe and the PeakTique planning committee are aiming for between 25 and 30 dealers and hoping attendance will top 2,000. “So far,” Thorpe says, “we have dealers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and the rest of North Carolina. All of them I met for the first time at Liberty.”
This year, with construction taking place at Norris Park, the festival is moving to 76 Hunter Street, directly across the street from the Apex Town Hall. Pam explains, “Our growth has been limited because of space. We don’t have a whole lot of areas where you can have a big gathering.” The PeakTique planners are grateful to have this new location, although it, too, will be temporary.
“Steven Terranova and Benjamin Withrow, owners of Hunter Street Station LLC, are letting us use their property this year,” Thorpe adds. “Next year, there will be a building there, so we’re looking for a permanent location. They’ve been wonderful to work with! They’re new to our business community and wanted to get involved and we owe them a special thank you for their help with this project for Apex.”
Seeing it Shine
The festival truly is a project for Apex. Each dealer pays an entry fee, visitors are asked for a $5.00 admission donation, and everyone working the event is a volunteer. After some expenses, the proceeds are divided between the ADBA for advertising and holding events like Christmas on Salem Street, and the Apex Historical Society for their maintenance of the Apex caboose and preservation of the Maynard-Pearson House and other historical places in Apex.
Given his long involvement with the Apex Historical Society and the ADBA, Thorpe describes himself as “a conduit” representing both organizations as the chairperson of the PeakTique planning committee. But he is generous with his praise for the committee as a whole and the three sponsors (the Apex Historical Society, the Apex Downtown Business Association, and the Town of Apex) who make the festival a successful annual event.
In addition to himself and Pam, Thorpe names fellow committee members: “Nick Bryant who owns the Apex Gallery of Custom Framing on Salem Street; Joan Simpson, owner of Sophie & Mollies; Erin Thompson on the board of the Historical Society; and Tim McCauley who has his own business, [Get Visual Business Solutions], doing web design and social media. They have worked so hard!”
Thorpe also says that when the weekend of the festival arrives, these business owners “have to be in their stores and they don’t have time to work the entry gate all day for three days. So, the Apex Historical Society gets the manpower for that. It’s all volunteers working the event and [everyone] wears orange vests with “PeakTique” on them, so they’re easy to find.” In addition, he extends “a special thank you to the Town of Apex. They have been very supportive; we couldn’t have done it without them. They do trash pick-up and [provide security from the Apex Police Department]. They are to be commended for supporting an event like this for the community.”
What Was Old Is New Again
You don’t have to be an experienced collector or a dealer to find a treasure at the festival. By loose definition, collectibles that date to 1960-1975 are considered “vintage,” and pre-1960 are “antiques,” but the Thorpes want you to think of antiques and collectibles as things with a story. “It’s not a new piece–it’s something that has a history. People find treasures that they like.”
Pam makes an interesting point about the current trend in decorating. “The rustic farmhouse-Joanna Gaines look has gotten so big. It’s amazing how that has impacted the antiques dealers. In the past, you would see oak cabinets, stained and varnished, but now they bring cool pieces! Lots of galvanized tin, painted furniture… They have some of the traditional antiques, but they’ve done well over the years meeting the demands of how people decorate. It’s always interesting how many young people are [at the festival].”
Need help choosing the perfect piece? The PeakTique dealers are professionals. Thorpe emphasizes, “They make their living going from festival to festival, and show to show, buying and selling antiques. This is their profession.” And if you set your sights on an item that won’t fit in the trunk of your car, Thorpe shared with us that it’s not unusual for a dealer to work out delivery with a customer.
More than anything, Thorpe wants you to know that, “[PeakTique] is a chance for you to get out and have an activity with your family. You can find treasures that meet your heart’s desire and, in doing so, you are giving back to your community by your contribution to get into the event. You’re becoming engaged in a way that is helping maintain and promote historical places in Apex.”
The fourth annual Apex PeakTique Antiques and Collectibles Festival is April 3-5, 2020. Come see this collection of precious finds. You might even hear–or feel–a story or two.
What you need to know
Festival Hours
Friday, April 3 from 9am-5pm
Saturday, April 4 from 9am-5pm
Sunday, April 5 from 10am-4pm
Location
76 Hunter Street, across from Apex Town Hall
Refreshments and facilities available
Admission Donation
$5.00 admission donation
Children 12 and under are free
Festival is rain or shine!
www.apexpeaktique.com
peaktique@gmail.com Facebook: Apex PeakTique Antiques & Collectibles Festival
