A barn loft is an unlikely place for an antique chandelier. But for Lisa Wilson, it was the perfect spot to place the namesake for the market she wanted to start on her family’s farm in Montgomery, Indiana.
The Chandelier Barn Market — a juried antique, art, and makers vendor show held in three different barns and various tents on the farm — began in the fall of 2014 after Wilson and her husband Dennis decided they wanted to bring what they had seen throughout the country to southern Indiana.
“We had no idea when we first set out on the venture that it would turn out as big as we’ve grown in the last five years,” she says.
For Wilson, searching for antiques and treasures had been a passion of hers for many years. Hosting the three annual shows on the Wilson farm — which has been in her husband Dennis’ family for almost 150 years — is no small task for the Washington, Indiana, native, but it is one she loves. Wilson and her team, which includes family and friends, begin scheduling shows for a year the November before. Applications are taken for all three shows (held in June, September, and a Christmas show in November) beginning in January.
As a juried show, each maker at Wilson’s event is chosen individually. Each application is reviewed as she looks for items and those who fit in with the style, aesthetics, and vibe of what the Chandelier Barn Market is. In essence, the criteria allow Wilson to design each show and present to the visitors a specific look. In all, the shows average 90 vendors who offer handmade items including art, jewelry, and metal arts alongside upcycled furniture, antiques, lighting, and more. Last year’s fall show drew in more than 7,000 visitors, she says.
“Five years in, now it’s all about the people who come here and creating an environment where people can get away for a day in a true country setting on the farm,” says Wilson. “I think that truly is where some of the draw is — people seeking that simplicity.”
The spring show is scheduled for June 1-2. For more information about the Chandelier Barn Market, visit chandelierbarnmarket.com.
