Vintage lovers, mark your calendars: Betty Byrd's barn party returns Sept. 18

PARK CITY, Utah — Amber Howe is turning her love of secondhand treasures into a growing community gathering, one barn party at a time. The next time she opens her doors will be Sept. 18, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at The Barn, 8839 Highfield Road in Park City, and she’s gathering local friends and artisans to join her.

Howe owns and operates Betty Byrd, a vintage resale business named after her 1966 Cerro Scotsman camper. The teal, canned-ham-shaped trailer once traveled with Howe and her husband before their family grew. When they outgrew it, Howe said, it went into storage until she needed a home base for the business she’d been dreaming up.

“I love when people are like, ‘Oh, this reminds me of my mom’ or ‘This reminds me of my grandma.’ It just evokes that feeling of nostalgia or happy memories,” Howe said.

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Betty made the rounds at local pop-up markets, including a stint at a summer farmers market that Howe said wasn’t quite the right fit for glassware and other fragile finds. Eventually, Howe moved the business to her own property in Silver Creek, where she now hosts three or four barn parties a year, complete with food, drinks and a rotating lineup of local vendors.

The events have become a launching pad for other small businesses in the area. Joining Howe at the upcoming barn party are Kitty Llewellyn of Kitty’s Little Bakery, a Midway-based home baker known for scones and cookies that sell out fast; Anna and Ken Kozole (KmKDesignsPC and Tips Up), a Silver Creek couple pairing Anna’s jewelry designs with Ken’s vintage-ski shot skis; Nancy Christiansen, who sells crocheted pieces with a vintage-inspired style; Natalie Heartier of Caspia Creations; and Lauren Montgomery of LaMont Designs.

“I want it to be a local artist spot where they can sell their wares, because they’re small businesses trying to grow, like me,” Howe said. “We can share our friend groups and just start. Word of mouth is the best way with new businesses.”

To keep costs manageable for everyone involved, Howe asks vendors and guests to contribute to a shared snack-and-drink table rather than charging a traditional vendor fee.

The market season’s first big event, the Lavender Festival, tapped into the sprawling lavender field on the property Howe and her husband moved to less than two years ago. Guests could trim their own bundles, and Howe made lavender soap and lavender syrup for drinks. Katie’s lavender scones and cookies rounded out the spread.

Howe sources her inventory from Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Etsy, thrift stores and the occasional estate cleanout, plus tips from customers looking to part with belongings. Some finds get a second life in an unexpected form: Howe turns vintage candy dishes and other glassware into candles.

“I don’t know if you remember Grandma’s old candy dishes that had the lid on top,” Howe said. “I turn them into these candles and give them another purpose.”

Howe also runs smaller mobile markets with the camper itself, including one planned for October in Heber. The barn party season wraps up each year with a Christmas gathering featuring mulled wine, a Christmas tree, gift wrapping and a fire pit.

The next barn market runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at The Barn, 8839 Highfield Road, Park City. Shoppers can expect vintage items, collectibles, retro decor, glassware, gifts, hand-poured candles, seasonal baked goods and more. You can find Betty Byrd online and on Instagram.