**This article appeared in The Marietta Times on Thursday, July 29, 2004

Valley awash in glass this weekend

By Connie Cartmell

There's one huge reason Joan Cimini, of Belmont, once again plans to attend the Antique Flea Market & Glass Show in Marietta, and it has nothing at all to do with how much antique glass she will sell or how much money she'll bring home.

"I come to the show because it's fun," Cimini, owner of Joan's Antiques, 67183 Stein Road, Belmont, said.

The local glass show, in conjunction with the National Fenton Glass Society Convention downtown and the Stretch Glass Society's 30th Anniversary Convention in Parkersburg, brings a "sea of glass" to the Mid-Ohio Valley this weekend.

Cimini has her place staked out at the Washington County Fairgrounds and the Civitan show.

"It's more relaxed than many shows. There are lots of old friends there, and people are really interested in what you have," she said.

Cimini does sell a lot of vintage Imperial and Fenton glass at the show, and that's the icing on the cake. What she loves is the whole experience - the event.

"Marietta is my favorite town, and I'm not just saying that," she said. "There is lots to see and do and always a fun weekend."

Sponsored by the Marietta Civitan Club, the 22nd annual Antique Flea Market & Glass Show opens at 8 a.m. Friday and continues until 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (note shorter hours than last year).

It's free to the public; parking is also free.

"Many of our dealers come from quite far off, and we want to give them the opportunity to get started home a little earlier Sunday," said Jim Bertram, longtime coordinator of the popular glass show and sale.

This year more than 60 vendors and dealers are coming from Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and as far as Florida, New York, Maryland, Wisconsin, and even California.

"Last year two Wisconsin sisters, who are glass dealers, saw our ad in an antiques magazine and came to the show. They sold everything they brought down," Bertram said. "They are coming back this year, too."

Cimini is an "inside" dealer, with her own spot in the floral hall under the roller skating rink.

Along with boxes and boxes of antique glass, she brings a card table and electric hookup, and always at least two fans to help keep her cool.

She's been packed and ready for the show for several weeks. Cimini loves it.

"It's always hotter than hooray, and if it rains, I've got a roof," she said. "I'm basically an Imperial dealer, but I do Fenton, too."

Glass people "cross over," she said.

"What's great about this weekend is there is a Fenton collectors' show at the Lafayette Hotel and a stretch glass convention in Parkersburg," Cimini said. "There is glass everywhere."

Don and Alice Hall founded the early August glass show here more than 20 years ago for the benefit of charitable programs of the Marietta Civitan Club.

Don Hall has died, and his widow moved from Marietta to near Columbus, but Alice Hall still attends the show every year and is a floral hall dealer. She brings glass, coins and marbles to the show.

"Alice hopes her old friends will come and visit her," Bertram said.

Scholarships presented to local high school students make up a sizable portion of the club's gifts, he said.

There have been annual donations from Civitan to the O'Neill Senior Center, WASCO, and Special Olympics, he said.

Proceeds from table and space rental from the dealers and vendors provide funding for the programs, he said.

In some years there have been up to 4,000 at the glass show, depending a lot on the weather.

Rain or shine, dealers will be there, Bertram said.

"What's great this year is we'll have a pancake and sausage breakfast, the first annual one, Saturday," he said. "It's all you can eat."

There's always been breakfast at the show, but this will be a special $3 deal for everyone.

It will be at the Civitan clubhouse next to the playground. During the day, Civitan men provide food for shoppers and dealers.