I'd heard about it for years, but never gone.

I knew it was giant, that it would be hot, and that I might get overwhelmed. I'd been told people came from all over the country, that it was unlike anything I'd been to before, and that I had to try the donuts.

I was assured that it would be worth it - and it was.

The Brimfield Antique Flea Market or as it’s better known, Brimfield Flea Market or, among regulars, just Brimfield, was all of these things and more. way too much more, it turned out, to see on a single Friday afternoon. 

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The Brimfield Antique Flea Market sets up shop in Brimfield, Massachusetts for one week in May, July and September of each year, comprised of 21 independent show fields, each of which is full of many, many different vendors.

Needless to say, for a first time visitor, it was somewhat overwhelming. 

I'd been told by a coworker with years of Brimfield experience to set out with a goal in mind: specific items you're interested in to be on the lookout for. Otherwise, I was assured, I just wouldn't know where to start.

With that in mind, I settled on a few things that fit my personal interests: cookie cutters, Hawaiian print fabric or shirts, and Hazel-Atlas Depression glass pieces matching a small collection I started years ago - blue glass with white sailboats and seagulls.

I was also on the hunt for marbles - I'd asked my 8-year-old nephew what he'd want me to get him, and that was his answer, because apparently it's 100 years ago.

I arrived in Brimfield around noon on Friday, the fourth day of the July show, parked at a nearby lot (I paid $10 and walked a bit, spots closer to the show fields were $20) and followed the mass of people heading west towards the market. 

The first tent that piqued my interest was full of clothes. Hoping to find a killer Hawaiian shirt or two, I headed in. 

There was a ton to peruse, but luckily for me, Hawaiian prints are colorful and loud enough that they stuck out, even in the sea of clothes. I found some awesome prints, but none in my size. 

One thing that surprised me in this tent was that many of the individual vendors had little dressing rooms set up for shoppers to try things on; logical, of course, but also unexpected.

I moved on from the clothing tent slightly disappointed, but also aware that there was so much ahead of me. 

A huge number of vendors at Brimfield sell items for the home, from kitchenware, pots and pans and bookends to artwork and decor to massive pieces of furniture; shoppers will  need to employ moving services to get bigger items home.

Not being in the market for furniture, and definitely not wanting to carry around anything huge, my sights were set on smaller home goods, specifically the glasses I liked, and it didn't take me long to find. 

I first received a piece with this design that had a candle poured into it; since then I look out for them whenever I'm in an antique store at a yard sale.

After I received that candle, I'd looked it up and found out it was made by Hazel-Atlas and was one of many designs they were known for in the first half of the 20th century.

I was pretty pumped when I saw these in one of the tents - I'm sure they don't have a great financial value, but something about them makes me smile. That's value enough: I purchased one of the small ice buckets.

With one of the items on my list accounted for, I kept going through tents that had mostly kitchen items, hoping to come across unique old cookie cutters. I'm an avid cookie baker and post lots on my Instagram, so I thought using antique cutters for a batch might make for a good story. 

Once I started actively looking for cookie cutters at Brimfield, though, they were everywhere. 

In addition to a couple loose cutters in one booth (a goose and an elephant) I found two sets in their original boxes: one of Halloween shapes and one for bridge parties with the shapes of the suits of cards. 

Cool additions to my collection, for sure. 

I'm a junkie for holiday decor, the kitschier the better. It's only going to be on display for a few weeks per year, so in my mind, it's okay to get weird. That being said, parts of my Brimfield trip were a true test of wills for me, having to stop from buying things I have no place to store but thought were really, really cool. 

The booth where I found the Halloween cookie cutter set, for instance, was entirely stocked with retro holiday goodies, from string lights, tinsel, and boxes for Christmas to costumes, masks and pumpkins for Halloween.

Thankfully I could satisfy my holiday urges by purchasing the cookie cutters - best of both worlds?

The coworker who advised me to head into Brimfield with a mission gave me another sage piece of advice: try the cider donut and leave with a bag of kettle corn for the ride home.

Never one to say no to a donut, I happily picked one up when I decided it was time to head back to my car. It was delicious. Ten out of ten. No notes. 

I'd gotten my glassware, I'd gotten my cookie cutters, I'd even gotten the marbles for my nephew. But the right Hawaiian shirt, or even better, Hawaiian fabric, remained elusive. Two out of three isn't bad, I thought to myself as I walked back, passing tents I'd visited earlier in the day. 

Maybe I'll take another look at the clothing tent, I thought, and I crossed the street to head there.

But wait! What did I see at a booth just outside the fashion tent? Just what I'd been looking for: fabrics in a variety of Hawaiian prints.

I picked out three that spoke to me, negotiated a fair price, and walked happily back to my car, purchases safely in my tote bag and donut and kettle corn in hand.

The Brimfield Antique Flea Market will next take place from Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Sunday, Sept. 11.