Petersfield Antiques Fair was established in 1973 by Eric Gamlin who also ran antiques fairs in Farnham, Lymington and Solihull. After his death, his widow, Heather, continued to run Petersfield.

In 1999 Caroline Penman bought the Fair from Heather, and in 2003 ran the last June event. It continued in February/March and September annually, growing in stature quality and popularity.

In 2025, at the age of 81, Caroline will retire. so the Fair will pass to Ben Cooper, with whom Caroline has worked for over a decade. There will be little change in the fair.

The Festival Hall has always been the venue, popular with dealers and collectors alike, it is eagerly anticipated. The early February date was always a challenge with the weather. So, from 2022 it runs in early March and early September.

Always standfitted and vetted for quality, the fair has hosted around 35-40 well-respected antique & fine art dealers. However, the Council has been planning a major upgrade and changes to the building, which would allow for more stands and a generally smarter setting. This would entail at least 6 months’ building works, disrupting the schedule. It remains to be seen when/if these costly works will happen! Indications are that the upgrade is unaffordable!

In 2023, we celebrated 50 years’ of Antiques Fairs at the Festival Hall.