Sea of Fleas, Aug 27-29

One of the many charms of summer is the opportunity to find a new treasure. Yard sale, garage sale, tag sale, estate sale or flea market - no matter what you call it, it can be a lot of fun. Even if you buy absolutely nothing, you can enjoy seeing what people have seen fit to hang onto.

Next weekend you'll have an opportunity to drop in on two flea markets.

First, this Friday (8am-3pm) and Saturday (9am-3pm), at The Stone House, 31 Cascade Road, Stamford, check out the Big Flea Market. The first hour on Friday is the super secret preview hour that will cost an extra $15, but the remainder will cost you nada. Organizers put the word "HUGE" in all caps to describe it. With proceeds benefiting the North Stamford Congregational Church and St. Luke's LifeWorks, the event is indoors and will go on rain or shine. The website (above) features a slideshow of some of the items you can claim for your very own.

Second, on Sunday (10am-5pm), at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, you can attend the third annual Old-fashioned Flea Market. This one features quite a few other goodies, like antique cars, a Dixieland band and a BBQ. Admission is free and you'll find 70 vendors selling jewelry, antiques and such. Proceeds benefit the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum.

(photo from blmurch, flickr.com)