the trend
Junker nirvana It's 30 days and counting for those who see beauty in the old, the used and the repurposed.
This year's Junk Bonanza, a gathering of more than 100 juried national and regional vendors of antiques and vintage wares, arrives with a new venue and a cartload of new features. The Sept. 17-19 event has relocated from Medina Ballroom to Canterbury Park in Shakopee. ("No shortage of cash machines at the track," joked junk maven Ki Nassauer, who is producing the fourth annual event.) Among items new to this year's expo:
• An entrance showcasing family-owned Marshall's Farm Market of Eden Prairie; they'll sell veggies, plants and goods from pickles to pesto.
• A licensed precious-metals dealer will be on hand to buy silver, gold and jewelry.
• Jill Hinson of Deephaven will create a table setting for eight, including a centerpiece, from $100 spent at Arc Value Village stores; attendees can register to win the tabletop items.
• A collection of vintage Pendleton shirts and jackets, all for sale, part of an expanded western boutique.
• Signings of new books: "The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen: Live Well, Laugh Often, Cook Much" (Hearst Books, $27.95) by Teri Edwards and Serena Thompson and "Matthew Mead's Monster Book of Halloween" (Time Inc., $19.95). Nassauer will also sign copies of her previous books.
• A meet-and-greet "Happy Trails Blog Party" will bring together Mead and Nassauer, as well as the Farm Chicks from Washington state and junking bloggers Heather Bullard of California and Margo Arrick, the "Robolady" from Texas.