Final Sidewalk Sale Will Showcase Antique Row Treasures

Antique Row will present its final Second Saturday Sidewalk Sale of the year on Oct. 9, 2010. The event--a cross between a block party and street bazaar--gives both the seasoned antiques collector and the mildly curious an opportunity to experience the unique treasures offered by the specialty shops in historic Kensington.

"We put a big sign at the top of the hill on Howard Avenue and put up balloons on all of the benches, it's very festive and it draws the people," said Jan Kriegsfeld, owner of Jantiques on Antique Row.

All of the shops in the neighborhood participate in the event by displaying merchandise on the sidewalks outside of the stores and offering sale items and special offers on much of their inventory. Many of the shops also debut new items during the sidewalk sale, according to long-time Antique Row business owner Jill Rotter of Jill and Company Antiques.

"It definitely brings interest to the area, which was the whole thrust of this event – to get people to think about us," Rotter said.

Like many small businesses in the region, the shops on Antique Row have not been immune from the economic downturn that has forced many consumers to cut down on spending--especially on items like antiques, which most people would not consider a necessity.

"People don't have the same kind of expendable income that they used to have and their priorities are going to be non-luxurious item," Rotter said. "So it has definitely impacted us all."

But many of the business owners in the neighborhood agreed that the longevity of Antique Row, which has attracted people to Howard Avenue East and its adjacent streets for the past three decades, is owed to their regular customers who continue to shop in the area despite tough times.

"We've all been here long enough that we have our tried and true customers," Kriegsfeld said. "We are known here and we all have people who are loyal to us and that has really paid off for us during these slower times."

The passion that the dealers on Antiques Row have for their jobs and the collectibles they offer to their customers is another driving force behind the vitality of the neighborhood, Rotter said.

"It's the love of the business. We like what we do so much, [and] we're not that fast to throw in the towel," she said.

In addition to sale items and special offers on merchandise, shoppers have the opportunity to enjoy refreshments provided by two new Kensington businesses: Itsy Bitsy Bakery and K Town Bistro. So take a leisurely stroll down Howard Avenue and support a local business.