Over 300 vinyl lovers attended the Brantford Record Show at the Royal Canadian Legion, Dunsdon Branch #461 on Sunday, May 3, 2026.
The big event featured 20 vendors, filling 35 tables with thousands of records and CDs around the room.
Paul Partington, event organizer and owner of S.W.O. Records, said the show has been running the bi-annual show for five or six years.
“It’s a really good way for collectors in the community here to be able to get together and take a look at different records. It’s nice because we have a lot of returning vendors, but we also get different vendors every year, so there’s a real mix of fresh new stuff, but people also know what to expect from some of the vendors who have been here before.”
Noting that some vendors specialize in different genres, Partington shared here was something for everyone at the show.
“We’ve got a little bit of everything today,” he said. “Some vendors have mostly hip-hop stuff, others have country, some have almost all classic rock, and some specialize in jazz or soul so you’ll find almost everything here.”
When asked why so many people are drawn to vinyl records, Partington said there were many reasons.
“A lot of people think that the records sound better. Personally, I just like collecting things and I’ve been doing it since I was a kid,” he explained. “I like the look and feel of records more than I like CDs; I think they both sound great but I just like to collect, and so for me, its records. They just look and feel the best in my hands.”
Caledonia resident Zoe Petrie said she personally enjoyed records because of their authentic sound.
“They just sound a lot different than streaming on something like Spotify,” she said. “It just sounds so much more rich and warm.”
Petrie said it was her first time attending any type of record show and that she was specifically hunting for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s Déjà Vu album.
“I have not been successful yet,” she said with a chuckle. “But we’ve picked up a bunch of Fleetwood Mac, another Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as some other random assortments. There’s just so many records available here and there’s things I would have never seen or thought to pick up before.”
Julia Lee and her father Kevin Lee traveled from Hamilton to attend the event.
The pair said they enjoy going out to different record shows to see what they can find.
“It’s kind of like a father-daughter thing for us. I’ve always been dragged along, and now that I’m working and have my own income, I can buy my own stuff. “It’s fun because he’s all about collecting different versions of The Beatles (White Album) and for me it’s the Queen’s News of the World album. It’s great because we get to look for our own things and do it together,” she said. “There’s just something about hunting through all these records and finding what you’re looking for that is so satisfying. The cool thing about record shows too is that you can find some really unique versions of the different albums, for example the one gentleman over there has a bunch of Japanese Beatles albums.”
The two agreed that it was also helpful to speak to the different vendors, noting that they’re well-versed in what they’re offering.
In the end, the show pulled in roughly 325 guests, noting that each was charged a two-dollar entry fee, the $650 of proceeds of which will go to the local legion.
“We always have the show here at the legion and we always donate the proceeds from the door entry to them as well,” said Partington. “Our Sarnia show is also always held at the legion there too. The legions of the communities always do a lot of extra stuff that people don’t really know about, so this is a great way to be able to give back a little bit.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
