A Protest, Happening This Weekend, And The Retail Therapy Guide - 6/5/2020

That's right folks...An old phrase has been added to our subject line: "Happening" Because things are Happening! This week was a big week. And it's not over yet.

Last Saturday: A gentle protest was held in Beacon by Southern Dutchess Resist.
Details >

Monday: A large peaceful protest was organized by these young people: Xavier Mayo, Ciarda Hall, and Stefon Seward was held in Beacon. Police provided an escort by way of moving street closure for protection, and two of Beacon's highest ranking police officers were granted permission to join. A Little Beacon Blog was there and covered it. See this article to get a feel for the experience, watch 2 videos of chanting in the beginning, and 1 video of the entire march, from inside the march. This article includes responses from the Chief of Police Kevin Junjulas and Mayor Kyriacou to A Little Beacon Blog's questions.
Get The Story >

Tuesday: Tuesday turned into Blackout Tuesday. With many white people learning and unlearning themselves, and black people asking white people to speak, there was a lot of words and social media flying around. This became a day of silence and reflection. A Little Beacon Blog was honored to get a call by Terry Nelson, Beacon's City Councilmember for Ward 1. He was at the march, and we reached out to fact check his daughter's name for an article. We came away with an incredible interview with Terry's experience when a member of the NYPD  putting a gun to his face when he was 17, and how he lives as a black man in America today.
Details >

Wednesday: Wednesday turned into a day of heaviness. When the reflection started, and vital sharing continued, many black and brown friends released their personal experiences of growing up black in America, and they were very sad and tired. Tired because they have been living with this for all of their years as a normal part of their lives, and now, some white people, were finally beginning to hear and see it. You may have received business emails from black owned businesses who don't normally talk about race in their marketing material, but on this day, they did.
Also on this day, Beacon's Patrolmans Benevolent Association issued a letter in response to George Floyd's killing. Signed by Officer Michael Confield, they referred to the death as an "unconscionable death."

Thursday: By now, peaceful protests had happened in Newburgh and Poughkeepsie, where both police chiefs (Newburgh's has an Officer In Charge as they are in transition after their chief resigned last month after a riot was sparked after an armed black man was fatally shot by police) kneeled with protestors.

Friday: That's today! See below for what's in store...
PS: Yes, we have started a comprehensive list of black owned businesses in the Hudson Valley and we wanted to release it to you today, but it's still being formatted and linked up.


Absentee Ballots Arrive - Vote
Ballot box locations have been posted by the Beacon City School District. You only have until Tuesday, June 9pm at 5pm to get these in, and at their scheduled times. Learn where the ballot boxes are.
Details Here >








Beacon City School District Virtual Art Show
Day: Happening Now
Location: Beacon Public Library's website

The show must go on! It's time for the Howland Library's annual Beacon City School District Art Show. Every year, students, teachers, and library staff look forward to seeing the colorful and vibrant art of our community's young artist. Starting June 1st, we'll be having a Virtual Exhibit celebrating these talented young people and their hardworking teachers! While we may not be able to see the work in person, we hope you will be able to experience the energy of their creativity through this virtual exhibit. 
Information >


Postcards From A Pandemic
Day
: Friday, June 5, 2020
Time: 7pm
Location: Instagram Live
Garrison Art Center is pleased to announce an ongoing worldwide exhibition of postcard art entitled Postcards From A Pandemic. This exhibition invites artists from near and far to mail a postcard to the Art Center that reflects their thoughts and creative expressions during this troubled time of social distancing and gallery closures due to COVID-19.
Information >



Black Lives Matter Protest - Pohill Park to Pete + Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park
Day
: Saturday, June 6, 2020
Time: 2:45pm
Location: Pohill Park, Beacon, NY
This protest is organized by Ciarda Hall, Stefon Seward and Xavier Mayo (Monday's protest), and is backed by the Southern Dutchess Resist, (organized Saturday's), I Am Beacon, and several other groups in Dutchess County. The Mayor of Beacon as well as other local government officials will be speaking.

Story Screen Virtual Night
Day
: Saturday, June 6, 2020
Time: 7:30-10pm
Location: ZOOM
Story Screen Trivia returns for yet another series of movie related questions and categories, with your favorite brainy movie nerds: Bernadette Gorman-White and Mike Burdge. And now they're using satellites to ask questions!
Information >

Virtual Hudson Valley Pride Festival
Day
: Sunday, June 7, 2020
Time: 4-6pm
Location: Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/hvlgbtqcenter/
Join the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Center on Facebook Live on Hudson Valley Pride Sunday for amazing performances by local performers Denise Parent, Nia & Ness, Ryan Cassata, and Salem Corwin!
Information >

The Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) Virtual 5K Run & Walk
Days
: Now through June 17, 2020
Time: At Your Own Pace
Location: Favorite trail, your neighborhood, the park, your treadmill!
Complete a 5 Kilometer run and/or walk (5K kilometers = 3.1 miles) in the comfort of your own neighborhood or on a treadmill between May 17th  and June 17th, 2020. You choose the date, the time and location. Registration ends June 10th! 
Information >

Beacon's Police Chief Will Attend Monday Night City Council Meeting For Conversation (Meeting via Zoom/YouTube)
On Monday night, June 8th, the City of Beacon Police Chief, Kevin Junjulas, will join the City Council for a conversation on best practices and training for the Beacon Police Department. If you wish to listen in on conversation, an invitation to the virtual meeting is below. Also please see this link to a video from June 1st of City Councilmembers commenting on the protests https://vimeo.com/425223009
YouTube: You can watch the meeting live on the City's YouTube channel.
Zoom: You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Jun 8, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: City Council Workshop
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82201559958?pwd=eHdHNjlNTXM1S0xueWRZYWRESmJyQT09
Password: 027050


Check our Calendar and Events Guide regularly for upcoming events throughout the week!

 

Visit A Little Beacon Blog's Restaurant Guide for updates on who is open, delivering, or has paused for now.


INDUSTRIAL ARTS BREWING

As we begin Pride Month 2020, this year’s design from Industrial Arts Brewing has added a brown stripe to show their solidarity with POC everywhere. These are now available in their web store and would make a nice addition to your beer order, but no other purchase is necessary. 100% of proceeds from the sale of these shirts will go to @rocklandcountypridecenter and @dutchesspride
Information >



EAT CHURCH
This weekend special is going to hit the spot: It's the “Mission Style Burrito:” Black beans, yellow rice, queso, avocado, salsa, crema, hots. Old school vegetarian. $10. For those of you who have picky eaters, you will love the Bang Bang Spring Rolls. The easiest eatery to social distance in, as it is surrounded by parking lot, with a straight-on view of Mount Beacon.
Order Now >
Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!






BAJA 328
¡Salud! Baja 328 has made it to the final round of Hudson Valley Magazine's "Best Margarita"! There is still time to get your votes in! Visit this voting page to support your local canteen!
Cast Your Vote! >
Baja 328 is a ALBB Sponsor!
 



I AM BEACON

To shop local has never been more important as it is today. The beauty of the Beacon community has many wonderful qualities - our small businesses being one of them! It is often said, charity begins at home- the pride of Beacon lies in our dedication and support of one another.  Pick up your I Am Beacon Strong T-shirt at Key Food to be entered in to win a $100 gift card to a local shop! Add this to your collection of other I Am Beacon t-shirts.
Information >


BINNACLE BOOKS
Looking for literature related to Black History and educate yourself further on the issue of civil rights in this county? Binnacle Books has many titles to choose from such as: 
- Jabari Asim, “We Can’t Breathe: On Black Lives, White Lies, and the Art of Survival”
- Ibrahim X. Kendi, “How To Be An Antiracist”
- “Chronicles of Black Protest” ed. Bradford Chambers

If those concepts are new to you - or you've seen them before but didn't want to engage - engage now.
Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!


LUXE OPTIQUE

It's getting too hot outside to wear your glasses and exercise at the same time. For those of you who are daily glasses wearers, you may need to open a new box of contacts! Luxe Optique is shipping contacts, and working on a new online ordering system.
Deals:
Get $25 off all year supplies of contacts + free shipping
Get $10 off 6 month supplies + FREE SHIPPING
FREE SHIPPING FOR ALL DIRECT SHIP CONTACT LENS ORDERS
Your order might also be eligible for a manufactures rebate of up to $150! 
Order: Text 845-838-2020 or email at info@luxeoptique.com
Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!


PTACEK HOME
Your indoor plant collection has been growing, we get it, it's happening in our Managing Editor Marilyn's home as we speak! Look at these beautiful Sustain Planters with heart pine from PTACEK Home. Beautiful. OMG.
Shop Now >
PTACEK Home is a Sponsor, thank you!


COLD FIT CRYOTHERAPY

Cold Fit Cryotherapy is thrilled to announce that they will re-open on Wednesday, June 10th! "All NYS requirements for sanitation will be strictly followed!" they say. They look forward to “freezing” with you soon! 

 
View more upcoming classes for in the Adult Classes Guide and Kids Classes Guide.

ANTALEK & MOORE
Scheduling a Zoom call with Antalek & Moore is a convenient, safe and easy way to talk to any of their agents.

Contact your insurance representative or email them at info@antalek-moore.com to schedule your call today. They miss you! And did you see Terry's bike for National Bike Day?
Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!


TIN SHINGLE
Tin Shingle is a resource and empowerment platform for business owners, artists and makers to get the word out about their business. This is done through webinars (called "TuneUps") to be watched on replay any time; an online safe-space forum to ask questions and get answers and support; and in-person opportunities to bounce ideas off experts in a live video format.
Learn More >


KATIE JAMES, INC.
Couture branding boutique, Katie James, Inc. designed the website for Beacon-based Knot Too Shabby in Shopify last year. Designed with the shop owner in mind, this website features various types of products, including paint, stencils, furniture, and classes. Katie James, Inc. can design your website too, or consult with you as you build it.
We got a suggestion in from a reader, who wanted to know how to send A Little Beacon Blog financial support to help us continue to produce. Even just $5. First of all: THANK YOU to that reader for wanting to do this!
Support Here >

People Who Have Given
Reading your comments of what ALBB means to your life has been humbling and keeps us going. Thank you.
See Who Supported >
SIGN UP FOR THIS NEWSLETTER

The Retail Therapy Guide - 5/22/2020

It's Memorial Day Weekend, and we have 3 words to kick off this weekend edition of the newsletter: THANK YOU Veterans. Re-read this speech from LTC Caroline Pogge on a  woman's perspective during her time serving in Iraq. She reminded the audience that women first started serving in the armed forces in secret.


Dutchess County Memorial Day Drive-By Parade
Day
: Monday, May 25, 2020
Time: 11am
Location: Throughout Dutchess County
This may be the largest Memorial Day parade the county has seen with a cavalcade of vehicles from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and fire vehicles from various municipalities and districts. The convoy will depart at 11 a.m. from Poughkeepsie and the Dutchess County War Memorial.

Beacon of Love Fareground Fundraiser Preview
Day
: Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Location: beacon-of-love.myshopify.com
Beacon of Love, a coalition of area residents, are announcing an online art show/fundraiser to benefit Fareground, a Beacon-based nonprofit organization, that has ramped up its efforts to combat food insecurity in the wake of Covid-19. On May 26, the online fundraiser will go live for previews only at https://beacon-of-love.myshopify.com/. Featuring works by 30 local artists and with prices tiered at $100, $150, and $250, the sale will go live on May 30 and run through June 2.
Information >


The Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) Virtual 5K Run & Walk
Days
: Sunday May 17-June 17, 2020
Time: At Your Own Pace
Location: Favorite trail, your neighborhood, the park, your treadmill!
Complete a 5 Kilometer run and/or walk (5K kilometers = 3.1 miles) in the comfort of your own neighborhood or on a treadmill between May 17th  and June 17th, 2020. You choose the date, the time and location.
Information >

 

Check our Calendar and Events Guide regularly for upcoming events throughout the week!

 

See Who's Brewing Coffee In Beacon and  Who is Brewing Beer And Selling Cans In/Near Beacon

Visit A Little Beacon Blog's Restaurant Guide for updates on who is open, delivering, or has paused for now.

THE VAULT 
The Vault is now offering free local delivery! Call (845)202-7735 to place your order! Their hours are: 
Tues-Thur 12-7pm
Fri & Sat 12-8pm
Sun 12-7pm

They have $5 off $35, $10 off $50 discounts from Tuesday to Thursday. 
Information >


BEACON PANTRY

Beacon Pantry is open 10am-6pm - closed Mondays but you can still order or pick up. The store is stocked full of goods.  Check out what is on their shelves through their Instagram (@beaconpantry) and plan ahead for your next curbside pick up order. If you do come to the store, please wear a mask and follow their capacity guidelines posted on our door.  View their product list HERE.  Contact Beacon Pantry by email or phone at Beaconpantry@gmail.com or (845) 765-1933. 
Information >


EAT CHURCH
Thursday through Sunday you can grab a bite to eat from Eat Church. You can grab their daily special or pick from their menu. Visit their website to view current menu & place your orders for pickup or delivery or call (917) 364-0838. Online ordering is super easy! And the view of the mountain is spectacular. Eat Church food truck located on the hill at Industrial Arts at 511 Fishkill Avenue.  Plenty of parking in the swooping parking lots.
Follow them on Instagram (@eatchurch) for daily specials only available at the truck.
Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!
 
KITCHEN SINK
Kitchen Sink has been popping open on the weekends with a stuffed theme. Lots of things are stuffed and little, and available in limited quantities. Their menu opens up on the weekend, and you got to go to their website fast to place your order. Same with Eat Church if you want to snag their specials!




 
 
HOMESPUN FOODS
Homespun is hanging in there as a wine shop at the moment, and specialty grocery destination or delivery service! The wine list at Homespun is selective and extremely special, if you value where the vine is rooted and how the growing season was. Saturdays are their days for pickup of grocery and wine bundles, and delivery is available for other days. While the kitchen is not open, you can still get carrot cake logs! Start browsing here.

 
 


SOLSTAD HOUSE
Solstad House asks "what exactly does an open retail shop look like in the COVID-19 era?" They want to hear from YOU. While there will mandates in place (ie: wearing masks, etc.) they want to know what else can be done to make you, the customer, feel safe not only in their shop but other local businesses in Main Street. Leave a comment in their Instagram post with your thoughts.
Information >



BINNACLE BOOKS
Beacon artists  @daniel_weise and @kalener (@clubdrawbeaconny) have put together an incredible initiative called WearTogether which pairs local artists with local businesses: the result, beautiful t-shirts with proceeds supporting both the artists and the businesses. You have TWO weeks to get your hands on this limited edition BINNACLE BOOKS / URSULA K. LE GUIN T-SHIRT drawn by @shamblanderson!  Order by visiting this link.  You can find more Beacon businesses participating and support at https://weartogether.shop/pages/beacon-ny
Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!


PTACEK HOME

We don't have to tell you how beautiful Hudson Valley wood is, let the endgrain speak for itself! Save a chunk of wood this Memorial Day! Order now on PTÁČEK Home's website at www.ptacekhome.com with curbside pickup or front door delivery! This One Chunk Console is now 30% off, now at $664.  Visit their website for more information!
Shop Now >
PTACEK Home is a Sponsor, thank you!


LUXE OPTIQUE
Luxe Optique is featured in A Little Beacon Blog's latest article on how some boutiques who were slow to build an ecommerce side of their websites, quickly dove in to develop this option when the shut-down happened. While Luxe Optique did have a website, they are currently building a new ability to order contacts online - even if you got your prescription with another doctor. Read all about it!
Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!


ECHO BOUTIQUE
Don’t all rush at once…space yourselves…but one of the most innovative shop windows in Beacon right now is at Echo Boutique at 470 Main Street, on the east end of town near the mountain. This boutiques with a wide curated selection of women’s clothing, kids toys, and some men’s accessories as well, was one of the first stores to voluntarily shut down - even before the Executive Order. Now, they are one of the first windows on Main Street to organize inventory in such a way that people can shop by number from the other side of the glass.

BEAUTY TIP
Are you trimming your own bangs? Shaping your own beard? Plucking your own eyebrows? Massaging your own neck? If you miss your stylist for these things, go ahead and send them some cash when you're doing this beauty update to yourself. They will thank you, and it helps them see you on the other side.

Change is hard! Adapting to learning online through Zoom and other meeting platforms can be intimidating.  Our Managing Editor, Marilyn Perez, shares her own experience overcoming her anxiety when she had to take her yoga teaching from the studio to her bedroom (!!) for Firefly Yoga's online Zoom classes.  And while she's referencing yoga, this can be applied to any kind of online gathering from classes and workshops to meetups! You can read more in her personal blog Ink+Coffee+Yoga

Not Quite BOB Teen Zoom Book Club
Day
: Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Time: 3pm
Host: Howland Public Library
The library's annual summer program Battle of the Books has been cancelled. So, while you'll have to wait until next year to compete to for the banner, that doesn't mean you can't meet to share your love of reading. Interested in joining? Email Coach Michelle at community@beaconlibrary.org. You don't have to be a former High School Battle of the Books team member to join.
Information >

Zoom Trendy Stitching Workshop For Tweens and Teens
Day: Thursday, Day
: Thursday May 28, 2020
Time: 3:30pm
Host: Howland Public Library
Grade 5 and up
This virtual hand-sewing workshop, presented by Ellen Brown, is geared for students grades 5 and up. Via Zoom, participants will learn how to use a trendy one-straight-stitch embroidery technique to accessorize or fix clothes and other items.
Information >

Zoom Stay Put Bookmark Workshop For Tweens and Teens
Day
: Thursday, May 28, 2020
Time: 5pm
Host: Howland Public Library
Grade 5 and up
This virtual hand-sewing workshop, presented by Ellen Brown, is geared for students grades 5 and up. Via Zoom, participants will learn how to use material and hand stitching techniques to create a personalized bookmark.
Information >
 
View more upcoming classes for in the Adult Classes Guide and Kids Classes Guide.

BEACONARTS

Have you seen the makeover done to the brick man on N. Chestnut St just off Main Street? Located on the side of Last Outpost next to Dennings Point Distillery, BeaconArts caught up with building owner Joe Darmetko adding a mask to "the duke".  Meet Joe in this Instagram video
Watch here >

ANTALEK & MOORE
A friendly reminder from Antalek & Moore that their offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2020 for the Memorial Day Holiday. And if you're planning a cookout at home with your immediate family, don't forget to clean and maintain your grill as our friends at Antalek & Moore recently reminded us in this video they shared from Lowe's on their Facebook page

PS: It's Friday, and Antalek & Moore wants to know what you're doing this weekend to get your foodie on? Chime in on their Instagram post! ALBB is ordering mozzarella sticks, at the very least, from Max's.
Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!


TIN SHINGLE
Thinking of becoming a screenwriter? Are you dusting off your keyboard to finally type it out? Tin Shingle Members get to watch this interview with a person such as you, Patty Carey, who lost sight of her writing dreams when her career in Location Managing in New York City took over her life. When she had children and took the summers off, her itch to write grew stronger, and she listened. Her first show was produced last year, after winning a contest of 300 other writers.
Watch This >


KATIE JAMES, INC.
Do you need to build your website? You do, and it's a daunting task. Sometimes, all you need is a sounding board. An expert to hold your hand as you plot your way through. Many tools are out there for you to turn the lights on, but which one do you use, and how? Square, Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify, and other niche platforms that offer special tools for specific industries. Katie James Inc. and Tin Shingle are introducing a 3-session series where people can sign up and call in to workshop their websites in a group setting.
FREE: For Tin Shingle Members, and Beacon businesses with a storefront on Main Street. There will be a fee for others taking it, and registration is limited. Details with signup link will be posted soon.
We got a suggestion in from a reader, who wanted to know how to send A Little Beacon Blog financial support to help us continue to produce. Even just $5. First of all: THANK YOU to that reader for wanting to do this!
Support Here >

People Who Have Given
Reading your comments of what ALBB means to your life has been humbling and keeps us going. Thank you.
See Who Supported >
SIGN UP FOR THIS NEWSLETTER

"Genius!" The Most Shoppable Window In Beacon Right Now Is At Echo Boutique

echo-boutique-transforms-windows-to-ultimate-window-shopping-experience-MAIN.png

Don’t all rush at once…space yourselves…but one of the most innovative shop windows in Beacon right now is at Echo Boutique at 470 Main Street, on the east end of town near the mountain. This boutiques with a wide curated selection of women’s clothing, kids toys, and some men’s accessories as well, was one of the first stores to voluntarily shut down - even before the Executive Order. Now, they are one of the first windows on Main Street to organize inventory in such a way that people can shop by number from the other side of the glass.

Owner Karen Donohue has a 14 year old daughter in school. When districts closed state-wide, so too did she on Main Street. Trouble is, Karen did not have a website to fall back on while her doors were closed, and remain closed during the phased reopening across the country and in Dutchess County specifically. But Karen is no newbie. She is a veteran of Main Street, having run her shop here for 19 years, always changing its inventory and display, depending on her mood and customer reactions. “I opened the shop a short while before 9/11 happened, so I wasn’t sure I’d survive. But I’m still here,” she tells A Little Beacon Blog. Karen also lives with Lyme disease, so summoning strength can at times be challenging.

“I started in a little 10x10 space as an art gallery next door to where the Korean deli, Seoul Kitchen, used to be.” That small storefront space she is referring to changed to a home brew beer shop for a minute, and is now part of No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Books Works, who bought the building and transformed it to an artist studio live/work space. “470 Main Street is my 3rd space on the east end of Main Street. I went from the little one to around the corner, which later became Waddle and Swaddle and is now Hyperbole. Then to my current spot at 470 Main Street, which is basically two storefronts in one.”

Extremely comfortable in the visual, physical space, Karen has a degree in photography from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and went on to be a prop stylist for almost a decade. Her window displays are known in Beacon for being extremely imaginative.

echo window directions.jpg

When she was comfortable with reopening in her own way, she and her daughter headed back into the store to bring as much as they could to display in the windows. Parents were eager to buy the toys she carries in the store, both to support her, and also to benefit from her educational and science-based selection.

Each item in the window is labeled in a box, and a sign with ordering instructions is taped in the window. Customers are told to snap a picture or simply text 845-863-3166 with what they want, and porch delivery within Beacon will be arranged. We can tell you this, however: this is a fraction of what you’ll find inside of Echo. Karen is always going to market to bring back new designers and toy makers. If you need something else, just ask her!

As for the lovely bras you see in the window, those are from The Bra Fit Expert, Christina (Tina) Faraj, who permanently pops up inside the shop with her wide selection of high quality women’s under things and comfy PJs. The benefit of Tina was her expert fitting, but if you contact her, she can telacoach you through a fitting christina.faraj@gmail.com.

When A Little Beacon Blog first shared a video of her shop in our Instastories, the positive reaction we received was swift. Several people shared heart eye emojis and explained: “Genius!”

What Beacon’s shop owners (and shop owners across the country) have done to stay connected to their customers has been astonishing. Many don’t qualify for unemployment because of their business entities, and applying for the PPP loan could be challenging, depending on what type of business they are. Translation: some businesses receive a fraction of stimulus funds, as some business owners are stuck between a rock and a hard place with how rules around these stimulus monies work and change on an almost daily basis.

Main Street business owners are always hustling hard, and they rose to the challenge of this crisis.

Shop Echo at 470 Main Street by shopping their window (spacially distance yourself), and look in their Instagram for product postings, as well as their Facebook.

Boutiques In Beacon Quickly Build Websites To Stay In Business On Main Street

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For some brick and mortar businesses, establishing an online presence pre-pandemic may not have been a priority. Walk-in business was good enough to keep them in business, so perhaps building an online website store was not needed. Plus, a shop owner is quite busy with customers who walk into the store, so spending a lot of time online to build a web shop is not easy. That all changed with the shutdown of Main Street back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the doors shut and foot traffic disappeared.

Overnight, the digital way of reaching a customer was the only way to reach a customer. Any store without a social media presence on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok was cut off from their customer base (unless they had been sending newsletters, which is even less of a percentage). Anyone who did not have an ecommerce website lost the ability to sell to the customer stuck at home - looking for something to do, or who needed that special something only available at the boutique.

Some brick and mortar shops in Beacon have not committed to the daunting task of establishing an online presence - it could be because they think it’s too hard, or feel not tech-savvy enough. When once they felt it a waste of time and money if not enough customers use it, that percentage shifted as no customers are currently walking through the door.

Boutiques Build Their Webshops

A Little Beacon Blog traveled around the web to find new or enhanced websites that popped in some of Beacon’s Main Street businesses up post-pandemic. With so many resources available now to sell online, shop owners don’t need to be coding experts to get one up and running. Required, however, is a lot of patience to build it, and good ideas for how the shop owner wants the web shopping experience to flow. Below is a sampling of brick and mortars who expanded online:

blackbirdattic.png

Blackbird Attic

Website Platform: WordPress with WooCommerce

Blackbird Attic, a consignment shop on Beacon’s east end of Main Street, already had a website but didn’t convert it to an online store until recently. Prior to that, they utilized their Instagram account (@blackbirdattic) to host pop-up shops and gather sales through Instagram via Direct Messaging (DMs). Owner Michelle Caves-Deal tells us “Selling on Instagram definitely works - people like to see the items live in Instastories, They've said it feels like they’re back shopping in person…”

But this does come with some extra steps for shop owner Michelle in order for the sale to happen, like sharing additional details and photos with the customer prior to purchasing. Being a consignment shop, she needs to create two invoices, merchant account and one for the WooCommerce software they use for sales.

The Underground Beacon

Website Platform: WordPress, WooCommerce, eBay

undergroundbeacon.png

2020 has already been a challenging year for The Underground Beacon, a well known comic book store with weekly comic book release days and in-person gaming events. First, they faced the risk of closing due to the usual pressures of personal life (family loss) and revenue streams to pay the rent, only to be saved by a new partner just earlier in March.

The shop has been hosting the weekly Magic The Gathering sessions on Zoom. They also created a website to sell t-shirts promoting love to the store in addition to selling comics through their eBay store.

Comic book shops were hit pretty hard when Diamond Comic Distributors - the main distributor for most comic book publishers including Marvel and DC Comics, announced a halt to all product distribution on March 23rd. This meant comic shops, like The Underground Beacon, would not get new merchandise coming in until further notice. Thankfully, at the beginning of May, Diamond announced they will resume distribution May 20th. Marvel and DC Comics have announced are being shipped to stores beginning in late May 2020.

Flora Good Times

Website Platform: Squarespace for the main website; Square for the Delivery Shopping

flora.png

As we shared in this recent article, Corrine from Flora Good Times was concerned dealing with such a tactile store “from seeing the plants and flowers to the smell of the shop itself” she says “it was such an unknown for me whether or not people would continue to shop at Flora through the computer.” She created a second website through Square just for local orders. This was convenient since they also use Square for their point-of-service sales. “It is easy to integrate into your inventory and create a delivery radius..” Speaking personally as a customer, it was super easy to place an order for delivery (twice!).

Still a new business with just 8 months under its belt, the plan for an online shop was in the cards but current circumstances really rushed that project. “I find that a lot of people are looking to spruce up their homes during this time, and adding a plant or some flowers to their quarantine definitely appears very popular!” says Corrine.

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RAVEN ROSE

Flower shops for the longest time relied upon centralized flower delivery websites to host their flower bouquet options. Raven Rose on Beacon’s east end of Main Street has a large space, most of which is filled with home goods, despite their large floral business. Years ago when owner Courtney Sedor bought the former floral shop that was located there, she relied upon a florist website service for her ecommerce, which locked her in into different template and selling options. After the COVID-19 shut-down, she dove in and put her home goods online, and now is part of the “release” news when a shop owner puts something new up on the website.

LAST OUTPOST STORE

Website Platform: Shopify

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Getting a website up and running quick was a concern for a few businesses. When starting a brick & mortar business, a website could be on the to-do list but building it in stages like how Last Outpost Store was doing.

While timing was of the essence, the Last Outpost store still wanted their website to capture the feel and vibe of their shop, while wanting the online experience to be as close to the interior shopping experience as possible.

Co-owner Allison Cimino was able to finish the site 2.5 weeks after their March 17th shut-down. Allison shares with A Little Beacon Blog: “The response has been really good. The local delivery has been great as well. I have been learning just how many locals really love our shop. That alone really drives me to want to see through this so we can be there for all of our customers when we return!”

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BINNACLE BOOKS

Website Platform: IndieCommerce (Drupal)

Binnacle Books, the small independent bookstore located in the middle of Main Street, always had a website, but did not always have the ability to shop on that website. They started with a form you could fill out if you wanted to order any book (possibly any book in the world?), and they would process the order. Different weeks into the pandemic brought different iterations of their website. First the ordering of any book got more advanced, and then their book collection appeared online in a searchable organized fashion. Binnacle Books offers a monthly membership that locks in a discount on book prices, and devised a way to make it easy to checkout without using your credit card so that the shop keepers could credit it against your monthly membership card on file.

LUXE OPTIQUE

Website Platform: Squarespace

While Luxe Optique always had a website, they were dependent upon walk-in foot traffic. Glasses fitting on your face is a personal, physical experience. Over the years, they added the ability to buy the frames online in their Collections section of the website, and even play with the SALE button to give shoppers a discount. Luxe Optique confirms to A Little Beacon Blog that they have seen an increase to the eCommerce section during this time, and they have more to come: online contact lens ordering. “Not only can you order from us using a prescription from our doctors, but you can also use prescriptions from any other practice,” Luxe Optique tells A Little Beacon Blog. “It might seem common, but it’s not something a lot of privately owned practices do. We can’t wait for that to launch. Should be soon!”

While having an online presence allows you to expand your customer reach outside of the immediate area, it appears to be a pleasant surprise to shop owners that local residents are taking advantage and showing their support. Local customers love their shops, connecting with the owners, and want to support any way they can.

Visit A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide for a list of all of the shops on Beacon’s Main Street.

The Retail Therapy Guide - 5/15/2020

It's Reopening Day today in New York State! That brings mixed feelings for different people, but we know this: you need a face covering when you venture out to that gardening center, golf course (already has been open, sans bathrooms or food), or drive-in movie theater.

And you need more than one face covering. A Little Beacon Blog has started our list of local recommendations - who is sewing and making local. See our Face Mask Gift Guide here.

If you are making and selling dynamite masks, we want to know about it. Please contact us with details on how to purchase. We know that there is an army of Makers who have been strictly making for the front lines. Now that the public is mandated to wear them when 6' social distancing is not possible, we want to help people feel proud and confident in their mask fashion.

PS: See how Beacon's floral shops, who need to remain closed because they are Retail, are still getting flowers to you.

Sloop Clearwater To Raise Sails and Spirits Amid Pandemic
Day:
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Time: 1-4pm
Location: Facebook Live
Information >

Check our Calendar and Events Guide regularly for upcoming events throughout the week!

 

See Who's Brewing Coffee In Beacon and  Who is Brewing Beer And Selling Cans In/Near Beacon

Visit A Little Beacon Blog's Restaurant Guide for updates on who is open, delivering, or has paused for now.


BEACON NATURAL MARKET

Beginning Friday May 15, Beacon Natural Market will open their doors to the public with these Safety Guidelines:
-Only Five customers allowed in the store at a time.
-Mask must be worn to enter the store.
-Hand sanitizer will be provided at the front of the store and must be applied upon entering.
-Please observe the six foot distance tapes marked on the floor.
-Additionally, only one customer at a time will be allowed in the bulk section.
- Gloves provided at the station must be used.
Hours are 10am-6pm Monday-Saturday & 10am-5pm Sunday. Curbside pickup and delivery orders will still be available with a processing fee of 5% (Min $5.00 charge) View ordering instructions at www.beaconnaturalmarket.com
Information >

EAT CHURCH
Thursday through Sunday you can grab a bite to eat from Eat Church. You can grab their daily special or pick from their menu. Visit their website to view current menu & place your orders for pickup or delivery or call (917) 364-0838. Online ordering is super easy! And the view of the mountain is spectacular.

Eat Church food truck located on the hill at Industrial Arts at 511 Fishkill Avenue.  Plenty of parking in the swooping parking lots.

Follow them on Instagram (@eatchurch) for daily specials only available at the truck.
Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!
 
BARB'S BUTCHERY
We are absolutely drooling over this bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwich from Barb's Butchery. (Have we mentioned how happy to have you back??) They're also keeping their cases filled with lamb hotdogs, smoked kielbasa, smoked linguica, and a new smoked tomato sausage! 
Give them a follow on Instagram @barbsbutchery or on Facebook.

 
 


LAST OUTPOST

It's chilly outside, now it's almost 80, back to chilly - we can't keep track! One day we are sipping iced coffee, the next a hot scotch! Get yerself a cup that does both! Stainless steel tumblers available on LastOutpostStore.com (free local delivery with code LOCALDELIVERY).
Information >

COLORANT
Check the new naturally-dyed cotton face masks by Colorant. Infused with Indigo & Cutch. Solid & Two-tone available. Made in partnership with @sigunikstudio to support the continuation of mask donations to the frontlines and community organizations in NY's Hudson Valley region.
Information >


BINNACLE BOOKS
If you see a book on Binnacle Books's Instagram account that you’d like or if you can think of a book you’d like that they might have, please special order it here. Include your address in the notes! They will find that book for you, invoice you, and then they will bike it over to your home or ship it, depending of course on where you are.
View Binnacle Book's Instagram Here >
Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!

PTACEK HOME
The Spring Sale continues! Your food is local, but your table might not be! Chow down on PTACEK's Chow Table!  Order now with curbside pickup or front door delivery.  The Chow Table is now 30% off which means now it is $1,330. Visit their website for more information!
Shop Now >
PTACEK Home is a Sponsor, thank you!


LUXE OPTIQUE
Remember this guy? Ryon from Luxe Optique misses you too. Check out this photo shoot he did pre-pandemic. Photographers are looking at ways to safely photograph once again. Luxe Optique is looking to work with new people for photo shoots. "Bringing together talented people from all over the Hudson Valley is one of the reasons we enjoy our photo shoots so much." Let them know if you or someone you know is interested in modeling for them! No prior experience required.
Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!


CUTE STYLES FOR KIDS

Put the scissors away!!  Check out these cute style for the little ones! They are quick and easy.  Send a DM to @audrinashair on Instagram for suggestions on styles and products.  Let her know A Little Beacon Blog sent you!  

BEAUTY TIP
Are you trimming your own bangs? Shaping your own beard? Plucking your own eyebrows? Massaging your own neck? If you miss your stylist for these things, go ahead and send them some cash when you're doing this beauty update to yourself. They will thank you, and it helps them see you on the other side.

Online Philosophers Youth Café via Zoom
Day
: Wednesday, May 17, 2020
Time: 4pm
Location: Howland Public Library via Zoom
Dan Fisherman will be hosting a Youth Philosophers Cafe for young inquiring minds in grades 6-9. Dan will lead students in in a discussion that explores a philosophical, ethical, or socio-political issue.
Information >

Online Socrates Cafe via Zoom
Day
: Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Time: 4-5pm
Location: Howland Public Library via Zoom
join moderator and Beacon resident, Daniel Fisherman, online on as he leads a Socrates Café program. Email Adult Services Librarian, Alison Herrero, for the invitation link at adults@beaconlibrary.org.
Information >
 
View more upcoming classes for in the Adult Classes Guide and Kids Classes Guide.

ANTALEK & MOORE
It's Foodie Friday at Antalek and Moore! They really want to know...What did you order tonight? Was it Brothers? Hattie's? Kitchen Sink? Eat Church? MOD's? The Beacon Hotel? The Beacon Daily? OMG, which one!?! Ok, ALBB will go first: Tonight we ordered a pizza from the wood burning oven of Ama. Last weekend Marilyn ordered from the Dutchessbier Cafe in Fishkill.
Let Them Know! >
Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!


TIN SHINGLE
Are you trying to pitch the media, hoping to get PR about your company? Are you emailing a newspaper, blog or TV station to let them know about something interesting you have done with your business? There is a great way to do this, and an off-putting way to do this. Watch this video tip to learn the difference, and flip the switch on how you are communicating with the media!
Watch This >
We got a suggestion in from a reader, who wanted to know how to send A Little Beacon Blog financial support to help us continue to produce. Even just $5. First of all: THANK YOU to that reader for wanting to do this!
Support Here >

People Who Have Given
Reading your comments of what ALBB means to your life has been humbling and keeps us going. Thank you.
See Who Supported >
SIGN UP FOR THIS NEWSLETTER

Main Street Businesses Mourn Closure Order - While Supporting It For Public Health Social Good

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Storefronts on Main Street in Beacon have been preparing for pandemic protection for the week prior to the shutdown of all non-essential businesses mandated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday, to go into effect on Sunday night (March 22, 2020) at 8 pm.

If you are vising Beacon this weekend - or any day, now that every day could be a weekend day depending on what industry you work in - you won’t find a shopping experience. We are social distancing, walking past closed shops, longing to go inside, our faces pressed up against the storefront glass. We are walking as families, as dog owners, as solo people. We are trying to stay in our spheres - meaning that tight-knit group of people you live with - to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.

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The people we pass on the street might be two or four friends getting out of New York City for the day to get fresh air. Totally understandable. But you have got to get it. You have got to sphere-up. You have got to not walk so close to your friends. Seriously. It’s awkward. Every single celebrity is telling you to do it. Every single celebrity in California and New York are out of work because their production literally has been shut down, or their huge concert canceled.

We HAVE to spread out from one another and stay in out sphere if we want this thing to end and for shops to re-open and for movies to come back into the theaters.

The First Round Of Closures

The first round of closures, with the 50% occupancy mandate, was pretty shocking. Then the mandate of movie theaters and gym closures came. That was devastating to those industries. In one day, everyone got to know the Zoom app (what is this thing?!) when kids started using it for digital playdates, and the parents were using it for work meetings, therapy sessions, and now yoga and Pilates classes to retain an ounce of normalcy.

Can The Internet Hold It All?

The Internet started breaking. Gov. Cuomo mandated that data providers provide more data to customers regardless of what plan they purchased (this is a different problem than all of the bandwidth being sucked up… although it’s a freebie solution that may or may not be possible as infinite data is sucked down into smartphones everywhere).

Netflix throttled streaming in Europe, and today, Disney+ took similar action by limiting streaming by 25% in a move requested by European government. “[Disney+] said Thursday it will limit the streaming quality of its content for the next 30 days for users in Europe to relax the strain on communications networks caused by the coronavirus lockdown,” according to an article in Deadline.

Businesses in Beacon

Businesses in Beacon quickly shifted to online shopping. If some had been doing it only a little bit, they jumped in with both feet to figure out how to make it work.

A Little Beacon Blog is tracking it all in our Shopping Guide. Visit that Guide and refresh it on your phone. As we learn of updates and changes to what shops are delivering, how they are offering contact-less payment, etc. the shop’s information will be updated in the Shopping Guide and Restaurant Guide.

This Tearful (Temporary) Goodbye (But Available For Pick-Up!) From Flora Good Times

This Saturday morning, the saddest Instagram post came up. Sad but truthful and appreciated. It’s from Flora Good Times. Owner Corinne Bryson bought the shop from the former Mary Fris (read her interview with ALBB here after that transition). Within the year she has been told to shut her new business, a move she supports in the name of public health, but one that is not without deep struggle and hardship.

We will leave you with Flora Good Times’s temporary goodbye post. Read it, and then go back and buy from her. She does pickup, and you’ll want to experience whatever energy you can from that sweet shop.


 

From Flora Good Times via her post on Instagram:

“I know the news is changing so quickly it feels like whiplash these days.

”A few things have changed for us over here today. Previously posted that we would be open tomorrow and Sunday. This is partially true, but only Saturday and only for curbside pickups or pre-orders! Our little store is not easy to socially distance within, so for the next while, only appointments/pickups allowed inside the shop. Sunday we will be closed.

”Secondly, I posted today that I wasn't sure about curbside pickups next week and moving forward. I think we will make it happen for you. I'll take orders Sunday-Tuesday for Wednesday and Friday pickup at designated times. What we have available is on our highlights, but please ask if you're looking for something you might not see. The store is full of treasures!

”Finally, I will not be focusing on flowers until I can properly reopen. We have cleaned out the fresh flower area as it's typically the part of our business running on the smallest margins with the most physical loss. We do have dried flowers available, or if you are looking for fresh flowers, I am happy to turn you to a handful of wonderful local florists who are slinging flowers however they can.

”Today has been weird. No shame in saying I've cried in the grocery store every time I've been in it this week. But, I've also spent a lot of time remembering that this pandemic is really teaching us something that I've been told all along -- health is the most important thing. And I'm grateful that I am healthy and those that I love are healthy. I hope you are also healthy and surrounding yourself with light in whatever way you can ♥️ Last thing, I heard a lovely Norwegian proverb today that I'm holding with me for the foreseeable future: "It will either go well or it will pass." Either sound great to me right about now.”

 

Wishing all of our Main Street business friends the very best as we soldier through this. Please continue to make your life happy by ordering the treasures you find inside. How fun to shop differently now: by gazing through the storefront window, and the shop owner brings you something.

Newburgh Vintage Emporium Expanding with Second Location

Neighboring Beacon, right across the Hudson River just off the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and 9W, is the Newburgh Vintage Emporium, located at 5006 Route 9W, Newburgh. Established in 2013, the Newburgh Vintage Emporium quickly became one of the Hudson Valley’s ideal locations to shop for vintage finds, antiquing, crate-diving for vinyl records, and even discovering local handmade goods. As first reported by the blog Newburgh Restoration, Newburgh Vintage Emporium is expanding due to its growing popularity!

Newburgh Vintage Emporium “Ware-House”

Artist rendition of second location.

Artist rendition of second location.

That’s right, 11,000 square feet with 50 vendors just isn’t enough to keep all the goods in! The organizers have announced that a second location will be opening at 10 Route 17K, in Newburgh - the Newburgh Vintage Emporium “Ware-House”! The Ware-House, as they call it, will add 30,000 square feet of treasure-hunting, with 80 more vendors. The new space will house even more vintage furniture and clothing, antiques, curiosities, repurposed and locally made goods.

Room For Growth

Sound Shack Beacon moved their record collection from Main Street (Beacon) to the Newburgh Vintage Emporium five years ago (and even hosted a pop-up shop at A Little Beacon Space!) and says it’s been a fabulous transition for them. They will also be expanding into the new space. Sandy from Sound Shack tells us: “We are excited about this venture! We will be having a spot that we will call Sound Shack Annex!”

This is an exciting time for Newburgh as new businesses continue to come into the city. As noted on the Newburgh Restoration blog, “the Vintage Emporium, located at the northern end of the city, just off the I-84 ramp, attracts many customers from near and far. Now the city will have a revamped shopping destination in the west end of the city. The owners have given their first location a fresh perspective. It will be exciting to see what they do on 17K!”

If you are interested in selling with Newburgh Vintage Emporium, you can call them at (845) 562-5200 or click here.

Pop-Up Shop Season Has Started! Pop-Up In A Little Beacon Space

Pop-Up Shop Season Has Started!

Want a venue to showcase your talent? Pop Up in A Little Beacon Space! People are always asking us, "What's coming in next?" Maybe it’s you!

We make your setup and promotion really easy! We have two black tables with smooth surfaces, which can get shorter or longer, depending on who is setting up in the room. We have the perfect nook for trying on clothing or just relaxing while others shop. Pop-up events at A Little Beacon Space are always fun and lively. A lovely surprise on your weekend stroll through Beacon!

Coming soon… new shelving we ordered, to give you more retail display options. Watch our Instagram for when it arrives and we set it up!
Click here for details >

Beacon Shops Begin To Open After Major Storm and Power Outages

Beacon, you rock! Recognize these Open signs? Meyer's Olde Dutch and Artisan Wine Shop. Across the street from those two, Notions-N-Potions and Luxe Optique are welcoming customers too. More signs like this are popping up! Hard work continues to restore power and cable, and clear trees, etc. 🙏🏻 Thank you to everyone who continues to help bring us a safe community and modern conveniences! You are all beacons of light.

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Latest Updates This Week In The Things To Do In Beacon Guides 5-15-16


Here's a quick list of what we added to ALBB this week so you can plan ahead this Spring.  As the weather gets warmer, there will be more and more fun things to do!


  • Niche Factory Sale: Set for Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, offering amazing discounts - 50% to 80% off!
This date and more are in the Events Guide, organized by month. Take a look to get a big-picture view of your month ahead!


  • Reset & Renew Your Mindset with Kate Rabe: Learn to get more profit for your business at this half-day workshop held at the Holiday Inn Express in Fishkill on June 13th. 
Find direct links to this item and more in our Adult Classes Guide.



  • Compass Arts: New class dates added for June, including Mommy & Me classes
  • Parent & Child Portrait Class with Maria Amor: New Art & Craft location added, Atelier Room 205 at the old Beacon High School. Classes begin in June for 3rd grade through 5th grade.

Find direct links to each of these items in our Kids Classes Guide.




  • ReMade: Added to our Shopping Guide. Located next to Clay Wood & Cotton at 133 Main St., Beacon, NY. 
Visit our Shopping Guide for a full listing of retail options that line Main Street and nearby.




  • The Vault: Visit our latest Restaurant Guide Sponsor, at 446 Main Street. 
You can always check our Restaurant Guide for the latest openings and promotions!






  • The Blushery: Our newest Beauty Guide sponsor. They are giving away 20 percent-off discount cards to be used toward your next spa service. Does it get better? Yes! Enter their contest to win a free spray tan! They're giving one away to someone who checks in at The Blushery with a picture on Instagram by tagging #theblushery #BlusheryBirthday.
  • Twins Barber Shop is our latest addition to the Beauty Guide. Check them out at 349 Main Street.
Find more ways to pamper yourself in our full Beauty Guide



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Do you have a class or workshop you would like us to consider adding? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or via email at editorial@alittlebeacon.com. 

Mama Wants: The Shopping & Relaxation Gift Guide for Mother's Day 2016


Happy Mother's Day! Whether you are the mother of a child or of a pet or plant, it is because of your nurturing spirit that these things are growing, and you must be celebrated. While there are a flurry of brunch options around, let's be honest, a mother's work is never done if the kids are around, so she may need some Mommy and Me Time with Me Myself and I. Therefore, we present our Mother's Day Gift Guide for a Mama's Day Out: Shopping and Relaxation.

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Brought to you by A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide, a walk down Main Street from East to West is just what the day calls for.

SHOPPING SPREE!

Traditionally, you'd pick out a gift for Mom. But strolling down Main Street on a Saturday or Sunday is really fun. So give Mom the day off to shop with her friends or on her own - because even when on her own, she's bound to run into friends. But you know what makes shopping better? A stuffed money-clip. Let us begin!


First of all, when a Mom is shopping for Mother's Day, she may want to get dressed up and feel pretty. Really pretty. This rose pink dress is available at Lauren & Riley, on the East end of Main Street near the Beacon Bagel (also a good breakfast or early lunch location pre-shopping).

Next is makeup, specifically makeup brushes. Much to your surprise, these makeup brushes, which include brushes specifically angled for liners, shadows and blush, are available at Beacon Natural Market. For the last 10 years, the Natural Market has made itself the destination for healthy living and lifestyle, and that includes mineral-based makeup for a clean finish that is easy on your skin.
If her lashes could never have enough coats of mascara, there is now the Society of Lash, who can fix that! Step into this parlor (or ask for a gift certificate), and have individual eye lashes glued to each of Mama's lashes for a natural, yet full-bodied, look.

Next, she's going to want to pick up some of these adorable glass and metal frames just down the street at Reservoir and Wood. These are good for showing off pressed flowers, and pictures that she could get taken and printed at The Pfotoshop in the old Matteawan train station when she stops in the Pfotoshop's walk-in photo booth to take pictures with her kids.
And then yes, she'll need this wireless lacy underthing from Free People, hanging in one of Beacon's newest boutiques, Style Storehouse.

Which might need to be worn under this dress...also at Style Storehouse.

Fortunately for this Mama, there is a 30% off shelf at The Pfotoshop, right across the street from Style Storehouse! The Pfotoshop is the same place where Mom can duck into the photo booth for some quick pics with her girls - friends or kids, or even dogs.

REFUEL WITH A TREAT

Alright, good job, Mama! You've hit Boutique Row, as I call it, on the East end of town. Now you need to refuel, because you're only halfway done. You're going to head next to the West end for artsy gifts with a bit of a funky twist.

While the espresso pictured here is brewed with TasKafe beans down at Homespun's Dia:Beacon location near the train, Homespun's Main Street location in the middle of Main Street, near "Market Square" (think Key Food's location), is the perfect stop for coffee as you walk down Main Street in shopping mode. Also do get the chocolate mousse pie. Divine.


This happy little radio is a marvelous contraption that not only is a radio, but opens up like a lunch box to eat - I mean - store your phone, which can plug into the speakers and play your tunes. (Also: It's waterproof and sandproof! How cool is that?) Available at Dream in Plastic on the West end of town, or by ordering from their online store.
For artful inclinations, River Winds Gallery has a plethora of beautiful pieces, like this leaf dish with a single red berry, crafted by local artists.
Talk about limited time only... This artist, Karen Madden, is only at River Winds Gallery for a few more days, which includes an artist talk on Saturday from 4pm to 5:30pm. Her paintings are actually felted wool with metal.





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Brought to you by A Little Beacon Blog's Beauty Guide, a gift certificate to any of these beauty services will go over well.


RELAX WITH MASSAGE PACKAGES

This is what Mama really wants - a massage. And these two massage providers are having a Mother's Day Special on massage services. These are services you want to stock up and cash in on, because they aren't offered often!

River Therapeutic Massage is offering two free gift certificates for a 30-minute session worth $50 and for a $25 enhancement add-on when you buy a series of six sessions (60, 75 or 90 minutes). Purchases can be made by calling/texting Karen at (845) 379-1956 or emailing her at rtmbeacon@gmail.com. Her studio is on Route 52, right next to the dentist and the Karen's Place hair salon.



A full-body massage in All Sport's zen massage room is $60 for 45 minutes when you purchase by Sunday by clicking here, and can be used 12 months from now. A total deal.




FAMILY FOREVER

Because precious moments can be captured with just the right lighting, and framed forever. Eva Deitch Photography, a local Beacon photographer, has a Kids package which offers a down-to-earth family session experience. Eva's work walks the line beween documentary and fine art, her sessions playing off the intimate connection of family love and the spontaneity of life.  Book a family session before Mother’s Day to receive a 10% discount on your session (valid until 8/1/2016) and a printable certificate to gift. Sessions are perfect for mothers, wives, sisters, and grandmas! Email Eva at eva@evadeitch.com.

http://www.edpkids.com

http://www.edpkids.com

http://www.edpkids.com

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

The Coolest Cooler Ever - And Only One Chance to Buy It At Beacon Flea

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Of course we had to beeline it to the season opening of Beacon Flea last Sunday, and boy, did it live up to our hopes of finding treasures - and creative genius! What we caught glimpses of via Beacon Flea's Instagram last year became reality with the appearance of custom-made furniture from local favorites like Keith Decent of Sixth Borough Studios and reMADE (formerly known as The Hudson Valley Maker and Artisan Cooperative).

This year there is a new guy on the scene: Robert Powchik, of Powchik Woodworking in Peekskill. Robert had been a vendor at the fair a few years back, and then took the year off from Beacon while he thought about opening a shop on Etsy, or getting any other kind of online presence. Meanwhile, he'd been building and designing away, and brought several of his creations to Beacon Flea and mesmerized anyone walking by, from a woodland throne to benches to this ... the "coolest cooler ever" as we dubbed it in our Instagram last week. And we weren't alone in developing an instant obsession with it!


Lately in Beacon, artisans have been showing off really neat bottle openers at their homes, made by their artisan family members. Like the family duo Pergamena and Outlast Goods. Well, Outlast made a wall-mounted wooden bottle opener for Pergamena, and it's just about the greatest looking thing ever in the kitchen.

Robert has made a standing cooler on wheels (pictured above) with a built-in bottle opener with magnetic powers to catch your falling cap. Yes, that is a standard-issue Igloo cooler nestled snugly into the wooden surround, which has a drain extension out of the wood, finished off with a metal faucet to drain the melted ice and other liquid from the cooler.

Do you need to tip the cooler? No problem! Robert installed the dish rack bar on the left side, which doubles as a bar to easily lift and tip the cooler. All of this is completed by a decorative horseshoe mount on top - or any other decoration you would like completing your cooler lid when closed. The wood has been treated to weather the outdoors, so you can use it without putting it away. Here's the best part (well, the wooden cooler is the best part in and of itself) - you can bring Robert your own plastic cooler and he'll build your wood cooler around that and knock about $25-$30 off the total sales price of the coolest cooler ever, which retails at $200.

This needs to be in your backyard. Need an excuse? Father's Day. But here's the kicker - finding Robert is tricky, as he has no website, so show up at the Beacon Flea to place your order! The Beacon Flea is located behind the gas station next to the Post Office at 6 Henry Street. It's an easy walk, or there is plenty of parking.

Makers like Robert and Keith are filling the lot at Beacon Flea. While Keith may not be there this year because he's in a new retail shop on Main Street (unless he changes his mind...), other collectors are selling their vintage finds, and some of them are putting their own personal stamp on the pieces. Among the treasures awaiting you, this small door with wrought-iron hooks, selling for $40 - or your best offer.


Meanwhile, collectors of the classics will leave satisfied. This vintage drum-set is on the do-not-touch list and is going for $300.


Action figures, from Wrestle Mania dudes to Barbie to Snow White are all here, plus boxes of sorted stuff like Matchbox cars, records, and anything you need. It will show up at Beacon Flea, which is open every Sunday from 8am-3pm. But as with a lot of markets, the only way you can buy it is to show up, making every find super special.

Take pictures of your finds and tag us on Instagram with #alittlebeacon! Can't wait to see what you pick up!

Record Store Day is Saturday April 16, 2016! Where You Will Find Crates to Buy Records, and Why Folks Love Records

Record Store Day 2016 is Saturday! Your list of where you’re going to crate dive and shop for records in Beacon and the Hudson Valley.
For your Beacon trivia, this E.T. is the main storefront display for local record store favorite, Audioccult.
Beginning with a group of independent record stores wanting to celebrate and get the word out about vinyl records back in 2007, Record Store Day was created to show everyone that vinyl records can still be enjoyed. The first Record Store Day was on April 19, 2008, and has turned into a global phenomenon. It is a day that rabid vinyl collectors look forward to - some even camp out for it!

This year, Record Store Day is on Saturday, April 16, and you do not have a travel far to take advantage of all the RSD exclusives. Audioccult, located on Beacon's Main Street across from Key Food and next door to vintage shop American Gypsy (and host of this E.T. pictured here), will be celebrating their one-year anniversary (first opened on April 11, 2015, and covered by A Little Beacon Blog here!) and their doors will open at 9 am.  There will be live music at 1 pm with a performance from Zack Campone.

Here is a list of participating stores in our area:

Audioccult (Beacon, NY)
Sound Shack (Newburgh, NY - you won't find new releases aren't here, as they are into the vintage)
Halfmoon Records (Cold Spring, NY)
Darkside Records & Gallery (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Jack's Rhythms (New Paltz, NY)
Rhino Records (New Paltz, NY)
Rock Fantasy (Middletown, NY)
The Kiam Records Shop (Nyack, NY)
Wright Gallery Records (Kingston, NY)

To see "The List" of this year's exclusives, visit www.recordstoreday.com and check out our Events Guide for more happenings coming up!

For the Love of Records

When A Little Beacon Blog's publisher, Katie, first learned about Record Store Day last year, thanks to Sound Shack's promotion of it days before they left their Beacon location for the Newburgh Emproium, Katie's interest in why people love listening to records was piqued. What is it about records that has people so passionate? Do we all need to be buying record players now? It seems so! We asked around and heard from different folks about why they love listening to records. Here is what they had to say:

Photo Credit: The Fleshtones
Ken Fox, a local Beaconite and bass player for The Fleshtones (he also moonlights as an occasional handyman here in Beacon - he's really good!), loves records so much, that he very strategically tiled his kitchen floor in album covers. Says Ken about his love of records, and the difference between records and CD:

"The difference between vinyl and CDs is emotional as well as technical. Certainly LPs sound better, crackles and all. But it's the emotional ties that go with memories of peering through record store windows at new releases, the thrill of gate-fold sleeves and the occasional poster or insert. The way choice LPs feel when tucked under your arm on the way to a party. CDs could never match that."

Photo Credit: The Fleshtones
Special for Record Store Day, The Fleshtones are releasing "End Of My Neighborhood,” composed and sung by The Fleshtones guitarist Keith Streng. Says their Facebook page: "He certainly lets us know he is more than concerned about the re-development of his neighborhood and the concurrent loss, not only of all the things that made the ‘Northside’ of Williamsburg such a cool place to live, but of its human scale as well."

The 45’s sleeve shown here was designed by Herve Peroncini of the Italian band The Peawees. The photos are by Jacopo Benessi before a Fleshtones show in La Spezia, Italy. The songs were recorded with longtime friend of The Fleshtones, Florent Barbier, at Cold Cut Productions Studios. This release is exclusive to Record Store Day 2016.

Photo Credit: airbnb host.
Karen Meyer, founder and massage therapist at River Therapeutic Massage on Route 52, is so fond of records, a record player influenced her pick of airbnb's on an upcoming trip to Nashville for a family reunion. Says Karen:

"I grew up listening to records and still miss the sound of the needle on vinyl. We have a fairly large collection (combined) of albums, but they've been in boxes since before we moved up here in '93 :(
I will be visiting Nashville with my mom for a family reunion this August. We were lucky to get the same airbnb that we stayed in during our last visit - and it has records and a record player. I am looking forward to spinning some country western tunes while I'm there. Patsy Cline, anyone?"




Do you love listening to records? We would love to know why! Tell us in the Comments below.

Sundays Are Complete Again! Beacon Flea Market Opens April 10, 2016

The Beacon Flea Market Opens for the Season April 3, 2016, and has Spent Winter Running Estate Sales

Did you find yourself walking aimlessly down Main Street this winter, taken in with all of the shops of course, but missing your anchor, that nudge in the back of your mind of something you wanted to do but couldn't put your finger on?

That is because Beacon Flea was closed for the season, the outdoor flea market located behind the Post Office in the parking lot at 6 Henry Street that is open every Sunday from 8am-3pm weather permitting. Perfect for walking through with a cup of coffee from a nearby cafe, or full belly from brunch from these eateries or a Belgium waffle at the Yankee Clipper Diner. The flea market will be open again on April 10th through the Fall.

UPDATE: Due to the snowy weather on April 3rd, the original opening day, Beacon Flea moved it to April 10.

When Emma Dewing, Owner and Market Manager of Beacon Flea, announced on her Facebook page that the Beacon Flea had just signed a contract with the city for another near of flea marketing, the post was shared over 65 times. Says Emma: "People are excited for the market to open. It heralds Spring, warm weather, and a terrific social event in the heart of Beacon. On a Sunday morning, customers walk to Main, grab coffee, meet friends and neighbors in the Flea Market and hunt for vintage and handmade treasures! There is a buzz that is just wonderful, and I am so thrilled for Beacon!"

Estate Sales From Beacon Flea

Those in withdraw from hunting for treasures outside could still attend Estate Sales Beacon Flea put on throughout the Hudson Valley.

Photo Credit: From Beacon Flea's Instagram page.

Beacon Flea Now Accepting Vendors

Got something you want to vend? Beacon Flea is now accepting vendors. Welcomed items include vintage, retro, antique, junk, salvage, architectural elements, collectibles, attic clean-outs, yard sale, costume jewelry, art, musical instruments, and hand made items. Any questions, contact Beacon Flea directly for more information: beaconfleamarket@gmail.com  (845) 202-0094.

A photo posted by Emma Dewing (@beaconflea) on


A photo posted by Emma Dewing (@beaconflea) on


A photo posted by Emma Dewing (@beaconflea) on
 

A photo posted by Emma Dewing (@beaconflea) on

Need a Card? For Saying I Love You, Thanks, or to Address Your Inner Awesome Self

Isn't shopping for cards fun? Should you need one today - Valentine's Day - or any day of the week, you could of course find rows and rows of them at Rite Aid, which does carry the popular Papyrus cards that are usually decorated with glitter, or you could find clever cards from artists in your favorite boutique. The best part about this route: The cards carried in each store reveal the personality behind each proprietress or proprietor. Which personality fits you?

Awwwe! A Forever Awkward Together card is precious with this gift set, from proprietress Michelle Caves at Blackbird Attic, on Beacon's east end of town near the mountain.


At first glance, these lovely fonts are so innocent...until you read the kick-ass message!
Find these "glitter and cleavage" or "Being a badass is exhausting" cards in one of Beacon's newest shops, Style Store House from owner Michele Williams, who is actually from Poughkeepsie! #funfact. Style Store House is on Beacon's east end of town near Utensil and the mountain.


If Clay Wood & Cotton owner Kristy Carpenter had her way,
she'd knit all day at home without pants. And she's got the card to prove it.
Plus, find locally designed pottery for your coffee and tea drinking needs. Clay Wood & Cotton is on Beacon's west end of town near Bank Square.
HOT TIP! Some of the most beautiful and creative flower bouquets from Viridescent are at Clay Wood & Cotton today - Sunday!


Are you part of one of those lucky couples who shares the same schedule -
and taste in shows - to hunker down on the couch and binge-watch
shows together? So is Jackie Foley, owner of The Pfotoshop.


And because it's Valentine's Day, you may need a larger
selection of smart love cards, also at The Pfotoshop.


Because really...cats will wake you up each morning with kisses...
and demand to be fed. Wait a minute...aren't you supposed to get
breakfast in bed on Valentine's Day? Or your birthday? Or any day?


YES. One of my favorite cards at Play, on Beacon's west end of town.
Because really, prehistoric reptiles are pretty cool.

Should you need a Thank You card at any time for a job interview,
gift, or just any reason to say Thanks, you've got options at The Pfotoshop,
Clay Wood & Cotton, and Echo.

This is not an exhaustive list, as cards show up in several shops around town at any given time, and this won't be the last stationery roundup you'll get! Keep your eye on another new shop, Wanderlust Gifts near Ella's Bellas, who has a curious collection of just the right things you need for any given moment.

Find addresses and days open for these shops in A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide!

/www.alittlebeaconblog.com//p/beacon-shopping-guide.html