‘Focus is on artists and makers’ at Bazaar-on-Hudson
By Alison Rooney
Browsing at flea markets is no longer the sole province of antique geeks and bargain-hunters. There’s a whole new type of market out there, designated with the close-to-being hackneyed word “artisanal” but meaning, essentially, that vendors have been chosen with an eye toward an overall aesthetic, and that their goods are not merely an extension of a yard sale.
The success of the 6-year-old Brooklyn Flea, which features a mix of hundreds of such vendors and has become a Saturday “cool thing to do” for many New Yorkers, has inspired others. Cold Spring’s Nathalie Jonas and Sam Lutzer are using that model to create a smaller-scale version right here.
Jonas, who co-owns The Living Room, and Lutzer, who has the same designation at Cold Spring Coffee Pantry, have joined forces to create Bazaar-on-Hudson, which they describe as a “thoughtfully curated” flea-style market every Sunday, from April 6 to July 27, at The Living Room, the event space located at 103 Main St., in Cold Spring. “The focus is on artists and makers,” says Jonas. “We’re trying to find a mix of 50 percent established businesses and 50 percent emerging artists who don’t currently have brick and mortar, and make it a cooperative forum for 13 Sundays across 15 weeks.”
Lutzer and Jonas are currently recruiting designers and product-makers from Manhattan, Brooklyn and all over the Hudson Valley, giving a preference to those who sign on for the whole season, though knowing this is not possible for all. If the initial run is successful, they will be looking to continue it during autumn through the holidays.
Citing Cold Spring Coffee Pantry’s participation in the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market as a good method of driving more business to their retail location on Route 9, Lutzer says the advertising component, which stems naturally from participating in BOH, is valuable.
“This will give them an opportunity to spread the word and build their business, and that’s much easier than adding a second brick and mortar space,” Lutzer said. Jonas adds, “It’s a model that has really worked in the city … it gives people a chance to get out there before taking the plunge completely.”
Quite a few vendors have already signed on. They include Wishbone Letterpress (from Kingston); The Bedford Life (handmade kitchen and baby accessories (Bedford Hills); Yaza Star, handmade and upcycled jewelry and Japanese-style children’s wear (Cold Spring); Terra Flora Botanicals, plant-based products using natural ingredient oils and infusions (Cold Spring); Rexhill, handmade contemporary furniture (Beacon); Sisters Dell, women and men’s vintage clothing (New York City); Kit Burke-Smith jewelry, wearable art/jewelry (Beacon); and East Mountain Girl, ceramics (Cold Spring). These will join Cold Spring Coffee Pantry, which will also feature gluten-free goodies from Beacon’s Ella’s Bellas, and plans are to bring in other food vendors as well. Hopes include adding live music to enhance the atmosphere each week.
Booth spaces cost $45 per day for a 6’ x 5’ allocation of space, and an application form as well as all the stipulations can be found on BOH’s website. Booth is actually a misnomer, as the selling spaces will be more freeform. “We’re moving beyond traditional tables [though vendors have that option]” says Lutzer, explaining that they intend to “give the idea of a booth through a more designed physical space.”
Jonas adds: “We see it as artists being able to create their own environment, something which will allow them full interaction with customers — in particular we’re encouraging them to use all the vertical space available, something that would really work well for painters or photographers.” All in all, depending on the vendors’ needs, there will be room for between 14 and 20 purveyors.
In describing how this new venture came to be, Lutzer says, “Nathalie and I got together because Nathalie has a beautiful event space and we thought that drinking coffee and having a treat before going shopping was a natural fit. We thought we could come to Main Street as part of something larger which would support other people who also want to be on Main Street.”
They are pleased that their opening will take place close to the projected opening times of three new Main Street businesses, the expansion of Old Souls into the former Hudson Valley Outfitters’ space, the Cold Spring General Store and Swing, described by its owner, Stephanie Doucette, as a “shop filled with things we love and we think you need.” Those things include Petite Doucette, the “kids’ counterpart to my woman’s ready-to-wear line, Doucette NYC.”
“Nathalie and I have worked hard to find things that are complementary and not competitive with existing businesses and will give tourists a reason to keep returning to Main Street,” says Lutzer. They both intend for it to be a weekly, enjoyable, Sunday activity for locals, much as the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market is on Saturdays. “We want you to walk in, get coffee, get food, shop and then, for visitors, explore Cold Spring or the area — go hiking, stay for the weekend, eat at the restaurants.”
BOH will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Sunday, April 6 through July 27, with the exception of May 18, June 15 and June 22. Visit bazaaronhudson.com for updates and information.
I was thrilled to hear that Sam and Nathalie have decided to undertake this endeavor. It’s a wonderful idea, just perfect for Cold Spring and the space is a great venue as well. I can see from the vendors who’ve already signed up that this will indeed be a quality market, sort of like Etsy on the Hudson, a nice mix of artisan crafts and high-end vintage. As the owner of a brick and mortar shop on Main Street, I’m sure that this will increase foot traffic for all of us. Many thanks, best wishes, and I look forward to a fantastic season this spring (if we ever get rid of all this snow!).