When shoppers meet at the October Marburger Farm Antique Show this Oct. 26 to 30, most things will be old, but one big thing will be new: the owners. Dallas-based company Brook Partners, led by John Sughrue and Jeremy Buonamici, acquired the twice-yearly Round Top, Texas, event from the Mebus family, who led Marburger Farm for the past 14 years. They passed the baton of a show in great shape, said Buonamici. Tents are full, we are adding more dealer space, the staff is wonderful and ticket sales are strong. Its going to be a joy for us and a fantastic five days of commerce for buyers and sellers. With expertise in event production and promotion, as well as real estate, Brook Partners produces the Dallas Art Fair and owns the 75,000-square-feet Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG). In addition to producing contemporary high-end fashion trade shows, FIG is also a top special events venue in the Dallas Arts District, and the Dallas Art Fair, a high-end, thoughtfully curated international art fair hosted at FIG, is now celebrating its 12th edition. Marburger Farm, with 43 acres of pasture, blue bonnets, and historic buildings, will be an exciting contrast for the multi-faceted company. From New York to New Mexico, shoppers will converge in Round Top for Marburgers Tailgate Tuesday. From 8 to 10 a.m. the morning of opening day, the tradition of complimentary coffee, mimosas, breakfast treats, easy parking and pre-show shopping along the corridor will carry on, with early buying for the entire show beginning at 10 a.m. What will fill the shows nine huge tents and 10 historic buildings? Expect booths filled with American, European and global antiques, antique and contemporary fine art, textiles, Midcentury, jewelry, furniture, rugs, silver and accessories of every style and era. Longtime exhibitor Mary Lee Snuffer of Pennsylvania says she will arrive with classic American furniture and paintings, as well as vintage lucite, chrome, and all the building blocks for a great mix. In business as Bedford on the Square Antiques, Snuffer says that she keeps coming back to Marburger because so many of its shoppers have learned the fine art of mixing the traditional with midcentury modern. Adds Snuffer, Brook Partners will bring new energy, new perspective and lots of new ideas; it will be very good for Marburger. Florida dealer Michael Whittemore promises a great industrial factory shelf on wheels, 1970s Travertine and Zebrawood tables, pairs of large organic ceramic lamps and all the garden furniture and statuary that I can price right and move myself. New exhibitors Jake Moore and Daniel Schmidt of Austin, Texas, will bring a collection of rare antique globes, as well as such striking vintage taxidermy as a Grizzly Bear. A former museum registrar, Schmidt offers art that is less obvious, by unknown artists but of great quality, including six paintings of dinosaurs from the walls of an old childrens museum. Says Schmidt, Im looking for customers at Marburger who recognize objects that can stand on their own, regardless of who made them. Missouri exhibitor Steve Ball of Horsefeathers Antiques has held back a pair of large cast-iron console tables with green marble tops, as well as a Dutch inlaid early case clock, over seven feet tall. And it works. Also in tow: art, jewelry and folk art. You only take really great things to Marburger, nothing mediocre, said Ball. Our customers in Texas seem to like our eye, and they trust us; its like meeting up with old friends. Suzan Dentry, an early Marburger dealer from Colorado, is eager to meet the new owners and to experience the adventure and joy of the show. She says that the collection she is bringing will be the best booth of her career, including paintings, 100 pieces of Victorian mother-of-pearl, silver, folk art and furniture, again, those building blocks for a unique mix. So many of the great shows in America have been watered down or ended, she says. This new chapter with Brook Partners is an opportunity to do it right and for Marburger to stand out, shine and thrive. California exhibitor Suzanne Fox will amaze with her ability to transport and unveil over two dozen iron and concrete urns, pots, benches and statues. How does she do it? Whether I buy it in New Orleans or England, says Fox, We ship each piece directly to our storage near Marburger. It never goes anywhere else. With displays spilling out of the shows historic Saloon, she will mix French planters, American weathervanes, and hard-to-find English Coalbrookdale cast-iron with a mated pair of 1920s concrete swans measuring over three feet tall. Marburger is the highlight of my dealer life, says Fox. Im looking forward to the new energy and new era. Jeremy Buonamici agrees. Im excited about the next five to 10 years, how can we improve the dealer experience and the shopper experience? How can we help Marburger evolve while respecting and maintaining the shows heritage? First up: a year-long celebration of the shows 25th anniversary in 2022. So rise and shine on Tuesday, Oct. 26, and explore and enjoy through Saturday, Oct. 30. Call your friends and tell them to get out of town and meet you at Marburger. On opening day, early buying starts at 10 a.m. with $25 admission. Regular $10 admission begins from 2 to 6 p.m. that day and continues on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission includes free parking and Wi-Fi, and one admission is good all week, so you can come back and see what fresh finds dealers unload every day. Advance tickets and group tickets are available. For information on tickets, travel, maps, vendors, special events, lodging, on-site shipping/delivery, and the Marburger Cafe, go to www.roundtop-marburger.com or call Tracy Blacketer at 800-947-5799. All Fayette County Covid-19-related health precautions advised at the time will be observed. Images courtesy Mike Turner/MD Turner Photography.