Main Street Summit Debuts Tuesday Night for Business in Beacon

UPDATE: We have sold out! Tickets might be on sale at the door if some people don't show, and if there is standing room only.

We are super excited to reveal A Little Beacon Blog's better business side tonight in the Main Street Summit happening at The Telephone Building. Many Beaconites have known Scott Tillitt, founder of BEAHIVE, for a long time, and I got to know him better as my physical neighbor in The Telephone Building when I moved in. Last spring, he approached me to partner up on this summit idea he had. Saying yes was a no-brainer. Small business issues are my jam, which I normally exercise through content and programs I develop at my company Tin Shingle, which is also on the lease at the building. Helping people live their lives on their terms, which can include running a business and producing enough income to provide for yourself and your family (family of kids, pets, aging parents, etc.), is a major driver of why I develop programming for businesses and was happy to partner on this event.

What Will Happen at the Main Street Summit?

First of all, there will be wine, beer and snacks during a Cocktail Connection at the beginning and end of the evening. While I was walking the mile of Main Street distributing flyers, telling any business owner I could reach about the event (sorry if I didn't get to you! but that's why we have newspapers and the Internet, to get the word out!), they told me I needed to lead with the wine part. :)

Next, Scott will moderate an interactive panel of city leaders from the Chamber of Commerce (Pat Moore, partner at Antalek and Moore), BeaconArts (Kelly Ellenwood, current president and city-wide volunteer) and City Council (George Mansfield, owner of Dogwood and City Council member-at-large). We picked this lineup for their direct experience as business owners, as well as with business owners in different capacities. The audience will participate by sharing their questions and thoughts, hopefully making for good discussion. We really appreciate their time this evening.

Then, we will break out into riveting roundtable discussions: Jason from Drink More Good will be facilitating the Staffing and Expansion table. He's got a lot of initiatives running out of his shop, so the insight gleaned will be beneficial. Galia Gichon from Down to Earth Finance is my friend from my NYC days, and I've imported her all the way from Connecticut in order to connect with her table about Business and Personal Finances - from having a retirement plan to different funding options. Myriam Bouchard of Coherence Collaborative will be facilitating on Operations - successful business always comes down to the best systems! I will be facilitating the table on PR and Marketing, pulling from my experience as a website/newsletter producer at InHouse Design Media and teacher of how to get the good word out (your good word about your business) from Tin Shingle.

Why Isn't This Free?

While pounding the pavement, I got a few questions. Mainly people were excited about the event, and in the enthusiasm, two people said they wanted to go but asked why it wasn't free. This is a good question! And there are several answers:

• Space: While our building is large, it's not a wide-open field. It will only hold so many, and business is a hot topic because it's tied to people's livelihoods. Simply emailing in a registration doesn't guarantee that you're going to come, so we wanted to have a handle on how many were coming.
• We Want You To Come! The mindset behind free is interesting. Sometimes when there is a free event, you think in your mind: "Neat! I want to go!" But then you don't, and think "Eh... I'm really comfortable in my house right now. I'll actually sit this one out." But when you spend anything, even $10, that sort of commits you. You don't want to waste the $10 or $30, so you come!
• We are Businesses: Though we are having people affiliated with local government on the panel, and while the intent is for the greater good, we are a business, and not a government institution. City Council Meetings, Planning Board Meetings, etc. are all open to the public. In fact, we have started republishing them in our new City Meeting section! Some people asked, "Could you get a grant?" Well, maybe, but I'm not well-versed in grant writing, or even researching where to find such a grant. Plus, grants can take a long time to actually get, and they may come with restrictions. The beauty of being in business is that we can act swiftly. Sometimes for free, sometimes not. Depends on the needs of everyone involved. At the end of the day, if you want a business to stay in Beacon, they have to actually conduct business, which means bringing in money. Same applies to art and even nonprofits.
• Is That Free Event Really Free? Everyone is selling something. If you go to a free event and it's hosted by an amazing person who just wrote a book, that person is basically hoping you will buy their book (usually a signed edition) at the event. That's your admission. You just pay it on the reverse - at the end after you attend - maybe. Sometimes events are free because there is a major sponsor involved who serves as compensation to the creators of the event. The sponsors who came on board for this event helped make the ticket price affordable.

Will There Be More Business Events?

Heck yes! In my other capacity at Tin Shingle, we do have several events planned. From classes, to member meetings, to weekly webinars. Upon moving to Beacon and experiencing the thrill from in-person events, Tin Shingle introduced a new level of membership - Community. It's our most affordable level of monthly membership, and will include one in-person meeting a month. I just needed to get through the early newborn days before getting back into event hosting. Even simple member meetings take coordination!

Every Wednesday at noon Eastern time, Tin Shingle has free webinars online. They are called Training TuneUps. I record them live from 291 Main Street, but you can call or click into them from your phone or computer. They include interviews with business owners in all industries, training sessions in the best ways to use Instagram, how to get PR, and so much more.

Seriously, get on Tin Shingle's newsletter if you haven't yet. If you need motivation for running and growing your business, you'll want to get hooked in. The newsletter and loads of our articles telling you how to do things are free.

Tickets to tonight's summit at this point are very limited, and you can buy online here. We only have a few more available online, and are reserving a few for people who didn't see this note and show up at the door.

Thank You Sponsors!

Maria Amor, Real Estate Salesperson
Arthur DeDominicis, CPA
Storm King Art Center

FUELING MAIN STREET FOOD SPONSORS
Oak Vino
Pandorica
Chateau Lagrezette
Beacon Craft Beer Shoppe

MEDIA SPONSOR
 

See you soon, or see you at the next business event that A Little Beacon Blog or Tin Shingle are a part of!

UPDATE: We have sold out. We want to accommodate as many as we can. Anyone coming by looking for tickets at the door, we have standing room only, and ask that you stand toward the back for the panel. Decisions on tickets at the door will be based on if people don't show, and how much room there is. The main panel is in the Beahive room, with standing room in the hallway and in A Little Beacon Space. After the panel we will break out into the roundtable discussions, which should have more room at each table in different rooms of the building (including the upstairs and downstairs). Thank you!.

Keys to Luxe Optique's Success As They Celebrate Their One-Year Anniversary in Beacon

When Luxe Optique first covered the storefront windows of 183 Main Street with COMING SOON paper, passers-by on the street asked how a glasses store would survive in Beacon. When the paper was peeled away, and people could see designer frames in the window (from designers that most of us had never heard of), it was clear that something special was inside. When the shingle was hung outside of the Main Street windows - a shingle that wasn't in the traditional rectangular shape at all, but vintage specs resembling shingles of opticians of the past - the speculative chatter came to a halt, and spottings of interesting frames on Beacon faces began.

Luxe Optique celebrates their one-year anniversary this weekend with a party on Saturday, August 12, 2017, from 3 to 8 pm. Regular readers of our Happening This Weekend newsletter and column know that Luxe Optique has been supporting A Little Beacon Blog as an advertiser for their entire year of business. In fact, Luxe has supported all of the newspapers in the area, as well as other organizations and initiatives, which helps you stay informed. As a token of our appreciation, we interviewed them about how they thrived during their first year.

In the Beginning...

Owner Laurie Riehle opened Luxe Optique with her dedicated staff (who have worked with her since adolescence), Ryon Odneal and Julia Martell, one year ago after selling her other store, Riehle Opticians, in Warwick, NY. Now, Luxe Optique employs 11 people in the Beacon shop.

After Warwick, over in Orange County, how did Beacon become the next logical location? According to Ryon: "Laurie was looking for the perfect city with a creative and daring side that didn't already have a local optical practice. Beacon, having easy train access and the Dia, appeared to be the perfect fit for what we wanted. One year later we know for sure it was the right decision!"

Luxe Optique Attracts Out-Of-Towners to Beacon

"Laurie's previous store was a core part of the town it was in," says Ryon. "It took care of every socioeconomic need there was. So, like that store, we are Beacon's local, community-based optical store." This includes in-store eye exams, which during the past year, have frequently been offered for free. Otherwise, the staff helps you submit a claim to your insurance if you have it.

Ryon is quick to point out the accessibility to designer brands - not designer brands that you'd find in vision centers in a mall, but true couture - handmade. "One would have to hop from store to store in New York City to try them all on, so the person who normally would travel to NYC for a great pair of glasses no longer has to! That being said, we also have many patients located in NYC who travel up here for their eyewear." Luxe Optique carries 23 lines of designer frames.

The Luxe Optique Test of Excellence

What test must a line of frames pass in order to be on the shelves of Luxe Optique? According to Ryon: "All of our collections MUST have an equivalent or greater quality value than the cost to our patient. We love to educate our patients on eyewear so they make the most wise decision in their investment! Which would be why you don't see major labels who license out their name to other companies to be made in China at high costs to the consumer. The average truly handmade frame should have a life span of 3 to 15 years."

Luxe Optique Owner Laurie Recently Bought Her Building

It's a common strategy for business owners to own the building where they set up shop, but not every proprietor gets the opportunity. "Laurie always knew she wanted to own the building the store would be in, but that wasn't originally an option with our current location," Ryon recalls. "We had a temporary, one-year lease and were pleasantly surprised when the option became available that we could keep our space permanently."

What Does Luxe Love About Business In Beacon?

"Our customers - we love them all! And the strong sense of community! From international, to the true Beaconites, and other nearby towns," says Ryon. "Every time we do an eyewear makeover, or provide better vision for patients than they have ever had, it is an unparalleled highlight. Most of the time, it's an emotional experience for our patients as well as us! Which is becoming routine here at Luxe." 

I Bought A Pair

As a person who has worn glasses since the third grade, and my daughter starting in kindergarten (that's when public school gives the kids vision screenings), I swore off high-priced glasses after learning about the high profit margins associated with most brands. So I vowed to only shop from clearance racks and spend $50 for my frames. Now that I go into Luxe Optique on a monthly basis to get ideas for their advertising spot in A Little Beacon Blog's weekend happenings newsletter, I gaze at their frames all of the time, and learn about how they are made, who makes them, and where. The enthusiasm of the team at Luxe is contagious, and I finally bought my first pair of frames this month (we bought my daughter's and my husband's first). And Ryon is right. It is transformational.

Keep your eyes peeled, looking for Luxe Optique on the cover of Bespoke Concierge magazine. They shot on location at The Beacon Hotel, and the issue will be released in late August.

New Beginning For Shambhala Wellness Center - Grand Re-Opening this Saturday

The Shambhala Yoga Center has been a staple in Beacon for almost 10 years under the ownership and guidance of Shannon Brandt. Shannon decided earlier this year that it was time for a change. She passed the reins of owning and managing the studio over to fellow local yogini Karla McGuire, owner of Live Your Life Gear. Shannon will still be teaching at Shambhala, but wants to focus on her healing work and working with private clients at the center. 

Karla comes to Shambhala with a new energy, lots of ideas, and new services for the community. The first thing you'll notice is the name change: from Shambhala Yoga Center to Shambhala Wellness Center. In addition to yoga classes with the regular teaching staff, there will be additional healing services like Reiki, Ajna Light Therapy, and other holistic therapies. Shambhala is now more than just a yoga studio.

This Second Saturday offers a chance for you to check out the new and improved Shambhala Wellness Center, featuring brand new floors, a fresh coat of paint, and beautiful tapestries on the wall to enjoy. You will also find beautiful yoga gear, accessories, props, and healing products for sale. If “Live Your Life Gear” sounds familiar, you may have seen its colorful Namaste Bus in the area and at various festivals. 

Starting at noon this Second Saturday, when you stop by Shambhala, you can sample free kombucha (Mon Cheri is my personal fave), have mini psychic and tarot readings, crystal healings, and Thai head massage, and enjoy live dance performances, shopping and grand opening specials. You can sign up for new student packages until the end of August: $25 for one week of unlimited classes, or $89 for one month unlimited. 

You can visit their website or RSVP to their event on Facebook.

Lyft and Uber On Apps Now In Huson Valley, Beacon, Newburgh, and Beyond

Lyft looks like this on your iPhone in Beacon.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin for A Little Beacon Blog

This is big news: Legislation just passed to allow Lyft and Uber to operate in the Hudson Valley. Lyft and Uber are app-based car services that people like you and me download on our phones, tell the app where we are standing, and then an alert goes out to drivers also on the app to let them know that we need a pickup somewhere. Your credit card is attached to the app, so you pay for the ride immediately, without no need to take a card out of your wallet. You can see a picture of the driver and watch their car drive to you - all while in the app.

Your friends can (almost) instantly become taxi drivers by being on-call drivers that people order from their apps in Lyft or Uber. No matter your politics about the ridesharing economy and its impact on the taxi industry, there is no denying that the Lyft and Uber apps have changed the way people get around - all over the world.

HudsonValleyOne has produced a great article about the general overview of this type of transportation, and how it was or was not accepted in Kingston. Bottom line is: There's a new competition in town for how people get around. We have ZipCar for car rental, car dealers for car owning, and now ridesharing for quick and affordable car trips places.

Why Are Lyft and Uber Useful to Local Beaconites and Hudson Valley Peeps?

Oh, let us count the ways!

• Tired: You walked really far from your house, and are too tired to walk home. Lyft it!
• Pregnant: You're pregnant (like me!) and don't know who will drive you should you go into labor during the day when everyone is at work. Lyft it!
• One-Car Family: You have one car in your family, and your partner is using it, but you really need to get up 9D. Lyft it!
• Train: You need to get to the train station and don't feel like walking, and have 9 minutes to spare. Lyft it!
• Shopping Spree: You live on the West End of Beacon but just indulged in a major shopping spree #BeyondTheBend on the East End of town at Style Storehouse, and then Kaight, and picked up a bunch of makeup at The Blushery. Too many bags to carry home. Lyft it!

You get the idea.

The Business of Taxis vs Ride Apps and "the gig economy"

This has been a fun business drama to follow. First there is the disrupting of the traditional taxi industry. When once taxi drivers were known to be rude or have dirty cars, or balked at you when you took out a credit card to pay when credit card machines got put into taxi cabs years ago, they now have to be a little nicer because people aren't hailing them as the only resort. People can tap their phones and find someone who'll happily pick them up. No more looking up phone numbers to local taxi cab companies, only to find a wrong number or one where no one picks up the phone.

The gig economy is one where someone can decide to pick up some extra cash on the side of (or instead of) a so-called "regular" job. Grandmothers, college kids, graphic designers, and everyone is becoming a driver for Lyft or Uber. Heck, it makes you keep a clean car, that's for sure.

The taxi industry is upset that these indie-drivers don't have to deal with the overhead that they do: carrying liability insurance, finding dispatchers, office rentals etc. Kingston Kabs owner Jeff Weintraub was quoted in the Hudson Valley One article when he wrote to Kingston Mayor Steve Noble: “My point is that before you wrap your arms around these entities, take the time to analyze and learn about what we do and the problems we face,” wrote Weintraub. “Perhaps the first step is to deal with the present system, clean it up, and see if local business people with local workers can provide the service you want [and] the people of Kingston deserve.”

The trouble with that approach is that ridesharing has been around for years now, and has improved people's lives - both people who want a ride, and those businesses who benefit from more people getting there safely. The Kingston mayor responded with this: “Now we have this technology that has worked in other places. We have more and more people coming into the city who have this technology on their phones and are wondering why it’s not working here.” So many people who live in the Hudson Valley access Lyft and Uber when they are not in the Hudson Valley, like when they are visiting friends in Chicago, New York City, or Columbus. To not be able to use these services in one's hometown or city, when they can in so many other towns and cities, opens a dialogue for questions.

So we reached out to our friends at Beacon insurance agency Antalek & Moore to tell us how the insurance part of it might impact gig economy drivers who, so far, are not required to carry liability insurance. What did we learn? It's a big risk for indie drivers, as insurance companies are opting not to fulfill claims when the app is on and they are waiting for pickups or driving a client. More to come on that next week!

How Do You Use Lyft and Uber?

Using Lyft and Uber is one of those things that is so easy, you might complicate it by overthinking it. If you have a smart phone, and if you know how to get to your App Store or Play Store, you just download Lyft or Uber. (I'm using Lyft until Uber can smooth out its sexist corporate culture issues and wannabe do-gooding campaigns that end up backfiring on them.) Put in your address and credit card information. Then just tap the main button to activate a ride to come to you.

East End Rising - Newest Retail Pioneers at 1 East Main

The East End of Beacon is rising, so prepare your mind to create a new route for how you get around Beacon, and what shops you frequent (A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide will help you big time). One of the unique features that defines the Beacon experience is our milelong Main Street. That's because it was actually two towns that merged into one in the early 1900s. So if you don't go to the East or West End very often, or don't know what shops we talk about a lot here at A Little Beacon Blog, you really should be out exploring the other half of your town. A friend who lives in the lofts at the Roundhouse commented that they stay on the East End quite a bit, and don't venture out. When they headed over to the West End one weekend to eat at Kitchen Sink, their eyes were opened and they declared that perhaps they should get a summer home on the West End.

Ribbon cutting for Lambs Hill Boutique

Several empty storefronts have sat either boarded up or under renovation on the East End, and they are starting to bloom, starting with 1 East Main. First to open was Lambs Hill, opened by visionary Charlotte Guernsey of Gatehouse Realty and Lambs Hill - the equestrian-inspired wedding venue up on Mount Beacon. Charlotte is also a painter and a new mother, who doesn't seem to be contained by boundaries of any of these undertakings when she opened the bridal boutique version of Lambs Hill at 1 East Main.

Showroom inside of Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique.

View from the inside of Lambs Hill boutique, looking up past the train tracks at Main Street in Beacon, NY.

Next came King and Curated, the combo store featuring Alicia King Photography and The Curated Gift Shop. When you step inside, you get to see the photos (which maybe you've already seen on Pop Sugar or The Knot), as well as shop the handcrafted jewelry, from stamped to bridal.

King and Curated, the combo wedding photography store and handcrafted jewelry store.

Hand-stamped necklaces in King and Curated.

This weekend, soapmaker SallyeAnder has been celebrating with multiple events, kicking it off with an industry party Friday night, followed by a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on Saturday with live music from The Brothers Miller. SallyeAnder isn't new to being in business or having a brick and mortar location, but they are new to having a retail shop that traditionally relies on foot traffic for customers. SallyeAnder had been in the wholesale business, wholesaling soap to stores and selling their own soap online. This line of marketing requires constant outreach, social media and marketing, which would be absolutely essential for anyone with a storefront off the beaten path or in an area with low foot traffic.

SallyeAnder's kick-off event to their grand opening weekend.
Photo Credit: Russell Cusick

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin for A Little Beacon Blog

Inside of SallyeAnder's new flagship location.
Photo Credit: Leigh Baumann for A Little Beacon Blog

Foot Traffic - Is This A Thing?

Every shop that has opened on the East End has been a serious pioneer because there is minimal foot traffic down there. Even more so at 1 East Main, as the building is located down a hill with two ways to get there:

• Walk past the entire building before turning right down the entrance path, or
• Park in the free municipal lot near Hudson Valley Brewery and walk behind the building, up the path, and to the shops.

Personally, I've never been a believer that heavy foot traffic is a requirement for having a successful business. When I looked for the office space for A Little Beacon Blog's Space, I knew I wanted it to be a destination for pop-up shops and workshops, and my landlord warned me several times that foot traffic was low. Located across from Key Food and next to a car wash and smoke shop, I wasn't afraid. I knew that the kind of events held in this space required aggressive marketing anyway, and was up for the challenge. So far, all of the pop-up shops hosted here have had very good turnouts for the three days they are here.

Here's another example: The Hop. That restaurant originally opened in 2010 on the early East End of town, across from the Howland Cultural Center, where higher foot traffic on the weekend and in late afternoons or during the week is to expected. But then The Hop moved allllllllll the way around the bend, down at the very end of Main Street, across from the Fishkill Creek waterfall.

They did this because they outgrew their original space. The result? Constantly packed. People drove or walked to The Hop to dine or drink. No natural foot traffic exists at the end of Main Street. Until The Hop came. It created the foot traffic as it became a destination. Then The Hop abruptly closed, and the foot traffic it created ceased. Dogwood is another case in point. Located over the Fishkill Creek, Dogwood is almost always busy, and almost always cranking out events to keep people excited about coming (did you go to their Prom?). Yet another case in point is Stock Up located on Teller Avenue, definitely off the beaten path, yet it has steady customers and busy brunches. Stock Up is the second location for Cold Spring-based business owners who own Marbled Meat Shop, which itself is in rural Cold Spring on Route 9 - not at all within walking distance of Main Street.

Of course, retail stores are not restaurants, with beer and good food luring customers. This is why these shops are pioneers. And pioneers have to work hard for survival. Anyone who sits inside, simply waiting for customers won't get them. One must go outside with physical lures (signs, music, bubbles, aromas, actual people) and shiny objects. Newsletters must spring to life. Postcards. Social media. All of it. Ideas to bring the people will only make the entire area as a whole more fun. Maybe there will be live music each weekend. Maybe there will be workshops and trunk shows. Maybe ... Who knows?

But you know what I know? I know that you, dear reader, are going to start shifting your mind, and heading down to the far East End for makeup and pampering (The Blushery, Greenroom, and Salon Arje), natural remedies for itchy skin or weird things (Heart and Soul with her garden-grown and imported herbs...get the Wonder Salve, it's amazing for itches and eczema), art galleries (BAU, Maria Lago, Russell Cusick and others...check out all of the galleries here). And the strip of shops, from mama/baby at the famed Waddle n Swaddle to newcomers Style Storehouse and Kaight. See all of them in A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide.

So. Much. Enjoy :)

National Soap Maker SallyeAnder Opens First Retail Flagship Store in Beacon - Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday June 17th!

We have more reason now to spend time on the East End of Main Street, specifically in the newest stretch just below Main Street that runs parallel to the old train tracks following the Fishkill Creek. SallyeAnder, the maker of all-natural, handmade soaps since 1982, with the products currently sold in over 2,000 stores nationwide, has opened their first flagship location at 1 East Main St., with a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting planned for Saturday, June 17, 2017.

While this location is the very first retail operation for the company, it is not their first location in Beacon or the Hudson Valley. In fact, their warehouse relocated to Beacon years ago, to the building on Beekman Street that also has the business home to BCAP, 2 Way Brewery and previously to Sweet Ambs. Says Sallie Austin, second-generation owner of SallyeAnder, wife, and mother of two, about the opening of the retail store: “We are so delighted to make our home here in the beautiful Hudson Valley, where people truly embrace opportunities to source products locally and to do their part to protect our Earth.” 

The opening event will include live music, soapmaking demonstrations, and a soap-wrapping contest perfect for kids and families. There will also be food, beverages, and more. This event is free of charge and open to the public. “We want to build a movement for the next generation that will help them understand the importance of using all-natural, handmade products like our soaps. Not only is it the right thing to do for our environment, but it is the right thing to do for their bodies,” says Austin.

What Makes These Soaps Special?

“My mother and father, Karen and Gary Austin, first developed a line of handmade soap products after my brother was born. The demand for all-natural, hypoallergenic soaps has grown exponentially as people discover that conditions like eczema and issues with chronic dry skin or under-eye puffiness can be managed with natural ingredients, and as people do what they can to align their purchases with their sense of social responsibility." The creation of SallyeAnder's “No-Bite-Me” soap has been a hit with customers, as it aims to help prevent Lyme Disease by keeping ticks away, which is a really big deal for Hudson Valley residents.

SallyeAnder has a particularly beautiful scent for their soaps with roses mixed in, which can be traced back to the first-generation owner - Sallie's father - growing his own roses in the upstate New York town of Minneto, where the family began making soaps. SallyeAnder also has an ongoing relationship with Common Ground Farm, located on nine acres leased from the Stony Kill Environmental Center in Wappingers Falls, which cultivates some of the natural ingredients used in SallyeAnder's line of soaps.

Beacon As The Soap-Making Capital Of The World! Ok, Of The Hudson Valley

With shops like Beacon Bath & Bubble, and boutiques that also include handmade soap in their stock like ReMADE and Dream in Plastic, to name a few, is there room for more? Of course there is!! Personally speaking, I made the switch from commercial soap to handmade soap nine years ago and have never looked back. I get my soap from a few different Hudson Valley soap makers. That's the beauty of handmade soap: There's a beautiful selection of different producers to choose from, and we're always thrilled to learn of a new soap maker.  Recognizing that there are several skin-care sources right here on Main Street, Beacon, we at A Little Beacon Blog created a new section in our Shopping Guide called "Bath & Body" so you can also get your soapy fix.

Join the SallyeAnder family on Saturday, June 17, from noon to 6 pm at 1 East Main Street in Beacon and welcome them to the neighborhood!

Beacon's First Time Hosting the Cupcake Festival - The Freakonomics Angle

The City of Beacon hosted the Cupcake Festival for the first time ever on May 6, 2017, making it possibly the biggest festival in the last few decades to be hosted in this city. So how was it for everyone? We collected feedback from various types of people to look at this from an economics point of view. It's an angle that may fit on the Freakonomics podcast, which studies the hidden side of everything.

Skin In The Game - Whose Skin, What Game?

When you're young and going to a spring or summertime festival, all you typically think about is who you're going with, when, where you're parking, and how much money you brought to spend on food, tickets, or games. When you're a little kid, you may think about what friends you're going with, but otherwise it's all about the sweets, face painting and bouncy houses. Your only skin in the game is to get sticky with different cupcake flavors.

Meanwhile, you're surrounded by businesses whose skin in the game is to create a shop, gallery or eatery that will delight you, and hopefully tempt you into buying something. Not to mention the vendors who secure permits and insurance to attend, then pack up their best selection to unpack and quickly display for you. This article looks at how those two goals work together, for the long run or more-immediate impacts, and how they intersected in Beacon on the day 10,000 people came to town looking to have a great time.

Kids decorating their own cupcakes.

Kids bouncy houst at Cupcake Festival

The Cupcake Festival Celebrates Its 6th Year With Move to Beacon

The Cupcake Festival just completed its sixth year of production by radio station K104.7, part of Pamal Broadcasting. Organizers went looking for a new location after presenting in Fishkill for years, and they wanted to keep a city feel with the party on a Main Street, in the middle of town. They approached the City of Beacon, and the Mayor said "yes" with the enthusiastic support of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce.

Style Storehouse was an official vendor in the thick of it, outside of their shop. All storefronts were permitted to have tables on the sidewalk at no cost to them.
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings

Was it a good choice? Says Chamber president Rick Brownell, and owner of Freedom Ford on Route 52: "The Cupcake Festival was a complete success. I took a few walks through the festival and found smiling faces, especially the children. Michele Williams (also on the Chamber board and owner of the boutique Style Storehouse) and I met with festival director Sam Favata of K104.7 a number of times, and he was very receptive to the requests we had. After the event, Mayor Casale told me that he didn't know a lot of people at the festival. That’s a good thing. That's our job at the Chamber - to drive new people to Beacon and let our business community do what they do best."

Sam from K104.7 explains the desire for the Main Street location: "As a live and local radio station, we have a strong sense of community and listener experience. We love the intimate setting that our Cupcake Festival has, as it not only showcases the best bakers and bakeries in the Hudson Valley, but the opportunity it creates to bring thousands of festivalgoers to Main Street in Beacon and its businesses. We are thrilled that we were able to showcase Main Street in Beacon and its storefronts as a destination in the Hudson Valley, and look forward to continuing to work with the City of Beacon on this event."

The Cupcake Festival was set up on Beacon's East End of town, which went against Beacon festival tradition. Usually, events are held on the West End, starting at Bank Square and ending somewhere in the middle, usually around the Yankee Clipper diner. In the case of the Halloween Parade, processions usually end at Echo, with families extending the parade themselves, around the corner past Beacon Falls Cafe to find more candy on the other side of that sharp turn in the road. Around the bend are shops, galleries and restaurants that many visitors have yet to stumble upon: Utensil, Waddle n Swaddle, Sukhothai Restaurant, BAU, Russell Cusick's gallery, Raddish, The Green Room, Abscission Barber Shop, and so many more. But do most people even know these storefronts exist, let alone frequent the businesses? Plus, did the storefronts want this kind of shutdown on Main Street in front of their stores? Sometimes businesses complain when festivals close Main Street.

Anne Perrone St. George, owner of The Chocolate Studio, has wanted events on the East End for years. "There have been no opportunities from events for us on the East End. Even the Spirit of Beacon Day Parade, which is held on the West End, doesn't allow for businesses to set up vendor tables. Only nonprofits can set up tables. That doesn't help us, and keeps the people [visiting] on that end of town for the day, leaving this end very dead. They do the Pumpkin Festival, the Corn and Strawberry Festivals, and beer events at Riverfront Park, and no one gets to the East End of Main Street and supports local businesses," she says.

Cupcakes: Not an Everyone Thing?

Days before the event, a man approached me to ask: "What is the deal with cupcakes? Are they a big deal?" Others who are either not fans of crowds, or not fans of cupcakes, also weighed in. Says Beacon resident Justin Riccobono: "I walked through the event and found it somewhat unappealing to me and very crowded. I'm not really that big a fan of cupcakes, but that's OK. It looked like many people enjoyed themselves."

The Curated Gift Shop, located in the new retail spaces at 1 East Main (down a little hill from Main Street), summed it up in this Instagram caption for the photo below: "I stamped this cuff [bracelet] before the @king_and_curated store was even open. Then I heard we were having the cupcake festival in Beacon this year. Goes to show you, if you build it... they will come."

Photo Credit: Posted at @thecuratedgiftshop, taken by @mrcvaughan.

Is The East End Of Beacon A Big Deal?

Yes. Over the 2016 holiday season, I received an email from a shop owner titled "The East End Is In Trouble." The email's author proceeded to ask for my advice, while sharing who they planned to connect with in hopes of increasing the number of people who actually walk down through the East End.

So many businesses on that strip are concerned. They have formed a coalition, called the Beacon East End Business Association, to connect and brainstorm ways to bring people down that way. After the abrupt closure of The Hop, foot traffic on the East End plummeted, which hurt several storefronts located on that end of town, according to several business owners.

Local artist Russell Cusick has been documenting what the East End looks like on different days. Although imagery of a rainy, quiet end of town is beautiful, it's hard on a business owner who is trying to bring exposure to their store. Pictured below are contrasting photos Russell has taken lately - both on rainy days (it also drizzled off and on, with a chill in the air, during the Cupcake Festival).

Photo Credit: Each photo was taken by artist Russell Cusick.

The artist Russell Cusick outside of his East End gallery, making one of his signature Beacon manhole covers.

Russell has been vocal about his support of increasing exposure to the East End of Main Street. He is a member of the Beacon East End Business Association. "Being on the East End of Main Street, a lot of people don’t even know that we’re here. So just to get those numbers of people on the street here is important. I feel that the East End is really a special part of Main Street, and a special part of Beacon. Once people experience this part of Beacon, they will be back. So I think that’s good for local businesses on the East End."

Parking, Trains, Walking - What Was It Like?

As with any large event happening in one's own town, there were some Grumpy Cats expressing doubts about the event, concerns over parking, and the big question: Would it be good for business? At the end of the day, 10,000 people came to Beacon by train, foot, and car, according to Sam from K104.7. Somehow the parking was absorbed. A lot of people hit A Little Beacon Blog's Free Parking Guide page before coming, and even wrote into us asking for walking directions. Recalls Sam after the big day: "I spoke with people from as far as Brooklyn and New Jersey to Monticello, Pennsylvania and Connecticut!"

Says Beacon resident Heidi Harrison, who lives in a wooded area down Churchill Street (the street between the Howland Center and the old Matteawan Train Station that currently houses the new Gino's Italian Ice shop): "I was out of town for the festival, but I watched it through people’s photos in social media. My neighbors told me that people found their way to our area and parked in front of our driveways!”

Liz Ferrera, owner of reMADE on the West End of town near Bank Square, reported that a large SUV parked in front of her store for longer than the allowed two hours, leaving her forlorn when the carload of people did not pop into her shop to take a look around before driving away. The two-hour parking rule is known to be - for the most part - unenforced in Beacon, and is a common complaint among business owners. Fellow business owners sometimes park in front of shops for hours on end, as do residential tenants who live above the storefronts and park all day and night. We discovered this trend during our survey of businesses on Main Street when the topic of parking meters bubbled up. Most wanted enforcement of the two-hour parking rule to happen first, before investing in and installing parking meters.

Main Street isn't alone in its parking woes. It's a part of life on residential side streets like where I live. Surrounded by three churches, every Sunday, cars fill the street to go to church. Cars don't block us in, but backing out of the driveway is hard, and if we're expecting company, we put out our orange cones to reserve parking. Back where I come from in Ohio, when a spring festival comes to town or Fourth of July parades are hosted, parking gets very creative, strategic, and for locals, often involves parking in friends' driveways as favors. Some owners of private parking lots charge for spaces for the weekend, making extra cash during the festival.

Hopeful visitors wrote into A Little Beacon Blog for directions on walking from the train station to the festival. Key Food set up their Kettle Korn tent to catch the walkers headed to the festival with the irresistible smell of popcorn, and reported that the stand "did very well." Businesses from sewing store Beetle and Fred to Alps Chocolate to Mr. V's all reported watching crowds of people whooshing down Main Street, hoofing it on foot to get to the cupcakes as quickly as they could. Says the Alps manager, "I don't know what the rush was. There were plenty of cupcakes, right?"

How Many Cupcakes Sell At A Cupcake Festival?

Well... of the 70 vendors that participated in the festival, 18 of them were cupcake makers. K104.7 recommended that vendors bring at least 1,000 cupcakes, and to price them no less than $3, most likely as a way to create pricing fairness. As a cupcake festival vendor newbie, this recommendation was a bit unbelievable. After experiencing the festival, however, and the lines that did not quit, it was clear that cupcake lovers were there to get lots of what they wanted. Joe Condon, owner of Joe's Irish Pub, observed: "The woman who set up in front of my pub [must have] made a killing. She was sold out by 3:30 pm." The festival started at 1 pm and ended at 5 pm.

Jason Schuler, founder of Drink More Good, has made participating in markets all over the state his number one marketing strategy. He can do about eight markets a weekend with this team. Drink More Good's main storefront/kitchen is located closer to the middle of Main Street, not in the heart of the festival with all of the foot traffic, so how did they fare? "The Cupcake Festival was a huge success in my opinion. It brought an insane amount of people to Beacon, and I guarantee a good portion of those people will be back to explore the town at a later date. We saw an increase in new traffic that day, but also had a private event in the evening that we closed early for. The only thing I'll do different next year for the Cupcake Festival is to actually get a booth at the event and sell as a vendor!"

Was the Cupcake Festival a Milestone Day for Everyone?

While Beacon does have a milelong Main Street and nearby parks, hosting such an event in Beacon would have been unimaginable a decade or two ago. Joe Condon, a lifelong resident of Beacon and founder of Joe's Irish Pub, remembers how Beacon could not have held an event like this decades ago: "Eighteen years ago there was nothing down here. Nothing at all. Anything that brings customers into this town is great. I know the Mayor and the City Council are doing everything they can to improve things in this town, and I think it’s great. I hope they bring that back every year. I am in business to make money! Next year I may have live music outside of my pub.”

Lauren & Riley

Some business owners like Kim King of Lauren and Riley, preferred the festival to be in a field. “I picture a festival to be more in a grassy area, like Memorial Park, or the waterfront, or where the Beacon Flea is in the Henry Street parking lot. I feel like every time we have a festival, it never brings in extra business for me. If you’re not food. I’d want it a block over from my store. I would rather have foot traffic from people going to or leaving a festival, headed to their cars, not the people funneled down the middle of the street.”

Meanwhile, Kim's neighbor, Brenda Haight Murnane of Beacon Bath and Bubble, had been one of first vocal skeptics of the festival. After the big day, she declared: "I'll eat my words now!" Brenda saw sales like she gets the day before Christmas. Which is a pretty big deal on a random day in May - that was rainy. "People were pleasant and happy to be in Beacon, many here for the first time. The foot traffic in here was awesome. I was freaking out because my daughter couldn’t be in to help me that day. My husband stood in."

Would all businesses do well during this kind of festival? Brenda shares her thoughts: "I think it depends on what kind of store you have. A lot of soap went out the door - bath bombs - that sort of thing. And soda - we sell vintage sodas as well. I had lots of lookers. Not everyone bought but they got to see the store which was great. Hopefully the people will come back to shop Main Street.”

“So many people that stopped at my table or came in the shop were shocked to see what Beacon is now.”

— Stephany Carapola Jones, owner The Blushery

Diva, the Woodman's sidekick on K104.7's morning show and pictured below, couldn't help but enjoy the day, and had time to appreciate the setting while surrounded by a backdrop of trees and mid-renovation old factory buildings. "I'm so glad this event was in Beacon! Beacon gets no love, and it is so nice here!"

Diva, of K104.7 in the morning.
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings

Harry's Hot Sandwiches up the street also declared a great day: "Things were great for us. Without the festival I think it would have been a quiet day because of the cold and rainy weather." Others outside of his store observed that people walked into his eatery, looked around, walked back out to check out their sandwich options, and came back in to order up.

Further up the road at The Vault, owner Anthony DiSarro checked in the black: "The impact of the festival on business at The Vault was positive. We saw more families than usual, with parents eating and drinking, but children mostly 'cupcaked out.'" Later that night, The Vault would host an '80s and '90s Dance Party, so it was a full day of music for them. The vegetarian-friendly eatery, Raddish, which normally has quiet business as it's located in the blind spot of the turn, happily reported a very busy day.

During the Cupcake Festival, Anne of The Chocolate Studio put a table out on the sidewalk in front of her store to draw attention: " After a very long winter, I was happy to have a very good sales day during the Cupcake Festival. I was happy to have the Cupcake Festival on Main Street," she said.

Denise Gianna is the owner of Denise Gianna Designs, located next door to The Chocolate Studio, and sells repainted furniture and reclaimed designs, as well as her interior design services. How did she fare? “It was a typical touristy Saturday, I sold furniture and pillows on the day. I was happy the festival was here.”

Emily Burke, supplier of all your kitchen needs at Utensil, had a table outside on the sidewalk in front of her store, selling cupcake-making things. Her daughters had baked cupcakes the night before, and were handing them out. "My sales were just about the same as an average Saturday. That said, I do think many people 'discovered' the East End shops, though it's difficult to quantify if that actually turns into new customers. From a non-retailer perspective, the event was well-run, and people were respectful and having a good time."

PS: Pictured below are some tools to make cupcake-baking easy. Find them at Utensil: Sturdy paper cupcake holders that let you skip using a muffin tin! Just pop them on a baking sheet - standing alone - and then bake (I tried it). Finish up with icing-art by getting piping bags with different shaped tips for squiggle designs, dual colors, and more (these are like paint brushes for a baker).

Staphanie Carapola Jones, owner of The Blushery and a lifelong Beacon resident, chimed in from the services side of business. Stephanie runs a brow bar, offers laser hair removal, is a makeup artist, and sells the makeup in her store. "Everybody had to pass The Blushery to get to the festival, which started a few stores away from us, so it was great. I set up a table right outside my shop on the sidewalk and had a lot of people stop in to take my service menus [and] samples. I think the people had a destination in mind and it was for the cupcakes and a street fair, not necessarily shopping boutiques. But they got to see our little business district and will possibly make a future trip here to actually walk around and check out all the stores."

A fire-torched s'more cupcake from The Roundhouse.
Photo Credit: Stephanie Carapola Jones, owner of The Blushery.

Stephanie heard a lot of commentary about Beacon while she was in her store on festival day: "So many people that stopped at my table or came in the shop were shocked to see what Beacon is now. They couldn't believe how nice it was and all the stores we have. I think we all are going to gain some new customers from this and word will travel about their experience. I walked the whole thing towards the end, because my daughter wanted to go in the bouncy house. I would love to have it back every year.”

Did the festival inconvenience Stephanie's customers? "I made sure to inform my customers about the event and logistics before they came in for appointments. They got there fine. Nobody complained to me when coming in the shop."

What about the new strip of retail shops at 1 East Main? We asked one of the latest newcomers, The Curated Gift Shop. Did people come down the hill from Main Street? "No," says The Curated Gift Shop, "but I was stuffing my face with cupcakes, so it was probably for the best."

A Little Beacon Blog's vendor table was located across from 1 East Main and across from the Roundhouse's vendor table showing off their cupcake skills (see The Blushery's photo above for a sample). We offered face-painting, whose proceeds would go to the Kindergarten Teams of Beacon's Elementary Schools.

Normally we hold these events in our storefront office at 291 Main Street, and we're lucky if we raise $15 on the day because face-paints are only $1 and it can be tough to attract people inside. During this festival, we had a solid line that we had never experienced before, and I was the only face-painter. Normally, my kids and their friends enjoy helping, but it became very clear very quickly that this was the big leagues and parents new to our business model didn't know what to make of the little painters. When I had to go judge the cupcakes, I needed to leave the table, and did not warn the line or have an official backup painter (Eeeks! Sorry everyone!). My friend jumped in reluctantly and ended up enjoying it once she got into the rhythm, but we are already planning ahead with new systems for next year! We raised $70 that day, which we are matching to send $140 to Glenham Elementary. Thank you everyone!

Most Importantly, Who Won The Cupcake Contest?

The Bourbon Bacon Cupcake! Baked and presented by Daniela Haugland. She won the $1,000 courtesy of the Poughkeepsie Galleria.

Daniela Haugland won first prize for her Bourbon Bacon Cupcake. She won the $1,000 courtesy of the Poughkeepsie Galleria.
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings

The winning cupcake, Bourbon Bacon Cupcake, baked and presented by Daniela Haugland.
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings

Second Place went to Dara Lippert with her Coconut Dream Cupcake. The People's Choice Award went to Melissa Torres for her complex Bailey's Brownie Cheesecake Cupcake.

The People's Choice Award went to Melissa Torres for her complex Bailey's Brownie Cheesecake Cupcake.
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings

Contestants and their cupcakes included:

• Arleen Harkins: Sweet Potato Caramel Delight  
• Jamie Vislocky: Banana Cream Pie Cupcake  
• Sarah Robinson: Chocolate Covered Cannoli Cupcake  
• Kimberly Alford: Carrot Cheesecake Cinnamon Buttercream Cupcake  
• Dina Marra:  Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup  
• Mark Avon: Chocolate Kumquat Strawberry Cupcake

Looking forward to next year!

Sneak Peek of Vendor Map for the Cupcake Festival

Official Vendor Map of the 2017 Cupcake Festival from K104.7

We've been hearing from you... People are wondering about this rain and if the Cupcake Festival is really happening or not. Well, we checked with the folks at K104.7 and they said they got the "thumbs up" from their Weather Team, so they're packing the trucks with the Cupcake Wars stage and coming down to Beacon, NY, tomorrow (Saturday) from 1 to 5 pm. We're still watching the skies and our inbox to see if we get a weather alert from them, but so far, it's on!

Meanwhile, here's a sneak peek of their official Vendor Map. Take a look at who is participating so that you can plot out which vendors you'll visit. Vendors' tables will be nestled between Main Street and the bustling sidewalk of our storefronts and restaurants. Everyone is looking forward to seeing you, so visit A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide and Restaurant Guide so that you can plan which stores and restaurants you want to hit up while you're here!

Career Fair at Beacon High School - Booming With Businesses - Join In For 2017

Beacon High School's Career Day was teeming with businesses last year in 2016, and they are actively booking visiting pros again for this year's event, to be held on Thursday, May 25, 2017. Last year, over 70 professionals in their fields set up information tables at Beacon High School to explain to students the ins and outs of their work. Students checked in throughout the day, during scheduled time periods between 10 am and 2 pm. The Career Fair's main organizer and school counselor, Michele Polhamus, was "floored" by the turnout. "Our students' parents (from grades K-12) and the greater community were so responsive and have been most supportive of the Career Fair!"

The Career Fair is gearing up again for 2017 and is accepting business applicants. To participate, you can contact Ms. Michele Polhamus, School Counselor, at 845-838-6900 Ext. 3025 or by email at polhamus.m@beaconk12.org.

Success of 2016 Career Fair at Beacon High School

Participating professionals who donated their time to present to kids ranged from Entrepreneur to Journalist to Radio Producer to Artist to Illustrator to Police Officer to Attorney to Land Surveyor to Tattoo Artist (one of the most popular).

at left, Tom Cerchiara, founder of TEC Land Surveyors. TEC is based in Beacon and serves architects, engineers and state and local departments while employing a number of people.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Sarah Crow, Freelance Writer for GQ, MTV.com, xoJane, Bridal Guide, and others. Sarah is based in Beacon and writes for the websites of major magazines. Her college major was in Digital Publishing.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Jerry Goodman, freelance Cameraman for shows produced for CBS, HGTV and others. Jerry is based in Beacon and commutes into NYC and other cities to film on location.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Specialists in Aviation.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

An aspiring graphic design student inquiring about internships.

Come In! Craft Beer Shoppe Opens Next To Key Food

Regulars of the check-cashing store tried to enter the brown paper-covered door while the Craft Beer Shoppe was transforming.

What once was a check-cashing store now is a cash-taking store. The Craft Beer Shoppe is now open to Beacon brew fans, from the people who bring you Key Food, specifically Jb Said (Jb with a lower case "b"). In addition to keeping his regular responsibilities with Key Food, Jb has branched out on his own to open this convenience shop for craft beer. The Craft Beer Shoppe is open daily from 9 am to 9 pm, with an extra hour on Friday and Saturday, when they close at 10 pm.

Although the windows were covered in brown paper during the transformation, regular patrons of the check-cashing store did try to check out the new space - despite the large, red, lit-up new sign above the door that announces what is inside: craft beer. Now, with the store opened and the left side of the store fully lined with refrigerators, there can be no mistaking what one will find inside.

While craft beer connoisseurs have their favorite spots to pick up beer around Beacon - including Dia Beverage way down 9D past Stony Kill Farm, or the beer store next to the wine store on Wolcott and South Avenue in the Beacon Dental plaza (aka Loopers Plaza), or even in the gas station in the middle of Main Street (across from Antalek & Moore) that has a surprising selection of craft beer - Beacon hopheads now have an even more convenient location: right next door to Key Food.

Deep craft beer enthusiasts also pick up from local watering holes like Draught, and take home cans from Stock Up.

What's In Stock?

Plenty, according to craft beer enthusiast David Martin, a weekend customer who usually commutes to the city during the week. In order to stock the shelves, Jb orders from at least 10 different distributors. That doesn't make it easy to get wholesale deals on beer prices, but offering a variety of beer is important to him.

"I was surprised to see the prices displayed under each beer," says David. "Usually, you find out the price after you bring it to the counter. I appreciate the displayed pricing. Speaking of which, the prices are on par with everywhere else." 

David's first purchase from The Craft Beer Shoppe.

During our first visit to the store, we tailed Byrdie from Accuprint, another craft beer enthusiast.

Byrdie was pleased to see the variety, including the selection of ciders. Included in the variety are non-craft beers, old trusties for some, like Rolling Rock, Bud, Bud Light, Stella, Blue Moon, and more.

Let's see what's in stock, shall we?

The Craft Beer Shoppe also has drink mixes, and bottles of non-alcoholic beverages, like Fever-Tree Ginger Ale and Tonic Water. Whisky Sour and Daiquiri mixes are also on hand.

Oops, I Forgot Eggs!

They read your mind! In the last refrigerator case, Jb has stocked the 'fridge with organic Pete and Gerry eggs, organic cheddar cheese, Hudson Valley Fresh whole and chocolate milk (how did he know!?!). Even though Key Food's doors are just a few steps away, you could just grab-n-go here. This is the move of a true small-business person, knowing his customers and delivering.

Hot Tip: Shhh... Don't tell Key Food, but the Pete and Gerry's eggs were $4.99 at The Craft Beer Shoppe, which is a steal compared to the $6.49 they usually are next door at Key Food. Not that you all will be storming this case for the low-priced organic eggs. Besides, you could always storm Homespun just a block down for their $4.99 farm-fresh eggs on your way home (if it's before 5 pm), because their dessert and cheese case is always stocked with dozens of eggs you can buy. Same thing at Beacon Pantry a few blocks in the other direction and open later, and Barb's Butchery has stacks of farm-fresh eggs ready for you to carry home when you pick up bacon or steak. There are of course other sources of farm-fresh eggs around Beacon, so you've got options.

But this isn't an article about eggs, it's about craft beer, and this new supplier in town. Have you checked out The Craft Beer Shoppe? Let us know what you think! 

Beacon Farmers Market Moves Outside to Veterans Place, Off Main Street

The Beacon Farmers Market will be outside on Veterans Place, right off of Main Street, in between the Towne Crier Cafe and the Post Office.

Lots has been happening over the past couple of years for the Beacon Farmers Market. Last year, it was turned over to new management under the auspices of Common Ground Farm. Then it expanded its open season to include winter, by relocating to the inside of the VFW/Bingo Hall, also known as the Memorial Building. Last summer, they introduced food accessibility programs by tapping into New York State's Fresh Direct program by accepting SNAP benefits. This summer, the Farmers Market will stay close to Main Street, and move outside to take over Veterans Place, the side street between the Towne Crier and the post office. Opening day is this Sunday, April 23, 2017, from 10 am to 3 pm, rain or shine.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

The Beacon Farmers Market will be in good company, surrounded by new neighbors who welcome the change. Emma Dewing, owner of the Beacon Flea Market, which sets up every fair-weather Sunday from 8 am to 3 pm in the neighboring municipal parking lot on Henry Street, is "pleased to have the farmers market up on Main Street. I think that Beacon can only benefit from having both markets and all that Main Street has to offer within a walkable distance."

Beacon Natural Market is located just across the street from Veterans Place, and is also looking forward to the market's new location. Says co-owner Kitty Sherpa: "We welcome the farmers market. We think it's good for our customers and the residents of Beacon. If having the market here makes life easier for our customers, that is something we care about. Going down to the water and then coming back up here doesn't work out as well sometimes for people."

Kitty remembers when the the farmers market was open at that same location off Main Street almost twelve years ago. Beacon Natural Market had just opened, and the farmers market was much smaller, with a handful of vendors. Now it has 15 or so vendors on any given week, with 27 vendors total - there are rotating spots for other pre-approved vendors (full list is here) to pop in during the schedule.

Who Will Be At the Market?

A few marketgoer's favorites will be at the new location, like PickleLicious, Hudson Valley Seafood for oysters, shrimp and other fish, and Nana's Home Kitchen, makers of Mediterranean dips and pestos, spinach pies, their famous falafel, and brownies. Local favorite Bank Square, from the West End of town, will be roasting coffee beans in a machine that uses solar power and serving iced coffee. Despite two coffee-serving locations in that area already (Ella's Bellas gluten-free bakery, and Beacon Pantry), lines are still healthy at each Main Street storefront, so there will be enough coffee to go around, as well as opportunities to grab-n-go for people hopping between outdoor markets.

Speaking of specialty food options, look for The New Confectioner, who is bringing to the farmers market small-batch, hand-packed, dairy-free frozen desserts, sorbets, vegan ice cream and frozen fruit pops. And look forward to bringing home honey from Steed's Bees, buzzing in from Montgomery, NY, in Orange County.

Enjoy your Sundays!

Come In! Hudson Valley Vinyl Opens - Buying and Collecting Records

If you were a fan of Audioccult, you were bummed when their doors closed back in February. But when their doors closed, another set opened! In less than one month, Hudson Valley Vinyl moved in, and is keeping the crate-digging alive for local vinyl record enthusiasts. Chris Reisman, a longtime vinyl record collector and buyer from the Hudson Valley (he currently lives in Orange County), saw an opportunity to fill the void that would have been left at 267 Main St. in Beacon. 

Chris Reisman's Longtime Passion for Records

Chris always wanted to open a record store and thought Beacon would be the perfect place for it, but he did not want to compete with another record store on Main Street. Once it was announced that Audioccult was closing, Chris acted quickly and was able to secure the location. "When I heard Sean was closing, I did what I had to do to secure the space. It happened very quickly and I was just happy I was able to fill a soon-to-be-open void."

Chris has been selling vinyl records for over 15 years. It began as a hobby, but he parlayed it into a career after getting laid off from what he thought would have been his "dream job" in the music industry. Music has always been a part of his life: At an early age, he began listening mostly to hip-hop and thrash metal. He would seek out vinyl record collections to purchase - even traveling as far as Texas! In his days as a DJ back in the '90s, Chris spent a lot of time crate-digging for hip hop singles before the popularity of vinyl records resurfaced again for the masses.   

Record Stores are Back

What is with the popularity of vinyl records anyway? "I think vinyl is becoming popular again because people are realizing there's something so unfulfilling about listening to mp3s," Chris says. "Holding the jacket and reading it. These are all things digital formats don't allow you to do. I think people want a tangible object as opposed to a file."  

With Record Store Day coming up so quickly this weekend, Hudson Valley Vinyl is not an official participating vendor (this year), but they are a must-stop on your record store travels, as they will have a lot of sales to offer, including $1 records and more marked-down items. On my first visit, I walked out of there with FOURTEEN records, and that's only because I stopped myself. I need a reason to go back, right??

You will find used albums from a mix of genres - including jazz, soul, R&B, rock, rap, reggae, blues, Latin, disco, and psychedelic - in a mix of formats, including LPs, 45s, and even CDs. Not only can you add to your vinyl collection at Hudson Valley Vinyl, but they will consider buying your vinyl record collection too! They look for "record collections that come from radio DJs, club DJs, industry executives, promoters, hippies, and music aficionados. With that being said, we will also still come to see mom and pop's collection." Just book an appointment! 

Make sure you say "Hello" to the painting of Jazz musician Joe Chambers displayed over the CDs!

Hudson Valley Vinyl is located at 267 Main St., and is open Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) from noon to 8 pm and until 6 pm on Sundays. Keep up with their latest news by following them on Facebook and Instagram. If you'll be driving far to make a special trip, always check with a store about their hours first to see if anything has changed! 

Beacon Trivia: Before Audioccult was in this space, The Beacon Pantry opened its doors for the first time. It was so successful in this nook that it expanded to a space with a patio a few blocks down.

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New Burger Joint To Open In Old Burger Joint - Meyer’s Olde Dutch Replaces Poppy's

The Poppy's sign has come down, but the space at 184 Main Street known for farm-to-table burgers will open soon under new ownership. fear not: Beacon will keep its burger joint!

Days after the ink dried on the closing papers for the one-story building that until last week was home to Poppy's Burgers and Fries and owned by its founder Paul Yeaple, a press release went out announcing that the building's new owner - Brian Arnoff, owner and chef at Kitchen Sink just across and down the street - would be opening a second restaurant on Main Street. Meyer’s Olde Dutch, "a casual, modern interpretation of the classic burger joint," is slated to open in May 2017 in the 184 Main Street location.

Making use of the bar that Poppy's had installed during its last round of renovations, Meyer's Olde Dutch will run a full-service bar, serving a large selection of New York craft beer, locally produced wine, and house-crafted cocktails. Kitchen Sink is known for its selection of New York-made wine. They are also known for locally sourced beef, cheese, and local produce, which will make its way into the new burger joint. Kitchen Sink, followed by Meyer's Olde Dutch, has taken farm-to-table to a new level: The Arnoff family owns a micro farm, Truckload Farm and Orchard in Hyde Park, which supplies some of the ingredients to Kitchen Sink. In addition to classic beef patties, Meyer's Olde Dutch will offer lamb, chicken and vegan options with plenty of toppings and house-made signature sauces, plus hand-cut fries, sweet potato fritters and salads.

The Ultimate Farm-To-Table Burger Joint

The burger joint that had planted a flag at this location wasn't just any burger joint. Poppy's owner, Beacon native Paul Yeaple, was a Beacon pioneer of the farm-to-table ethos. When speaking to Southwest Dutchess, Paul reflected: "When I started Poppy's eight years ago, there was no local food anywhere in Beacon. Now it's abundant. Maybe we can go to another town and help incubate a better food situation for them too." Paul certainly has left his mark for farm-to-table, as Meyer's Olde Dutch will be dressing the burgers with produce from their very own farms. That kind of farm-to-table match is rare. For more on Paul's thinking about why he closed Poppy's, see Brian PJ Cronin's article in the Highlands Current.

About Meyer's Olde Dutch

Meyer's Olde Dutch is named after Brian's great-grandfather Meyer, who once owned and operated Olde Dutch Grocery, across the river in Middletown, NY. With the new place, Brian says, “We look forward to bringing the same passion for food that we’ve provided across the street in our fine dining establishment, but in a more casual atmosphere.” The atmosphere at Kitchen Sink is already quite casual - a classy casual - with a seriously impressive menu that changes with the seasons and with what's been harvested, presented in a way that is a work of art. We can't wait to see what casual looks like at Meyer's Olde Dutch.

Arnoff's goal is to be open by Saturday, April 29, 2017, the day Beacon Barks parades down the street on the West End of town. Take-out is slated to be available from a side-door location down the alley between buildings. If you're excited about the side-door take-out as a new perk of the burger joint experience, just wait to hear what else Brian has in store. Anyone who has had the grilled cheese or mac and cheese from Kitchen Sink knows that there is something spectacular about those oozy, creamy dishes. After years of culinary training and apprenticing, including a stint in Italy where he "developed a deeper appreciation for seasonal ingredients and regional cooking," Brian opened a mac and cheese food truck. CapMac was one of the first food trucks on the DC mobile dining scene. Brian sold the truck three years later, before moving back to the Hudson Valley to literally and figuratively put down roots.

Pictured: Brian Arnoff, owner of Kitchen Sink, the new Meyer's Olde Dutch, and of the 184 Main Street building.

The Inn and Spa at Beacon Opens This Weekend

Think a wellness oasis right on Main Street is impossible? Think again! Opening their doors this Saturday is The Inn and Spa at Beacon, located at 151 Main Street. Leave your worries at the door and allow yourself to be pampered with a Hudson Birch Deep Tissue Massage or a Blue Eucalyptus Energizing Massage, to name just a few of the spa services available. The Inn & Spa at Beacon will serve as a retreat space from the hustle and bustle of your daily life, with many getaway packages to choose from. The basement will feature the full spa and the Water Spa, including hydrotherapy tub. The Water Spa will be opening soon but you can still take advantage of their other treatments such as facials, massages, scalp treatments, and more. 

One of the massage rooms

Meet owner Roger Greenwald on Second Saturday (April 8), and explore the new, beautiful space he's created. Roger has a background in architecture and a love for 18th-century design. Roger has spent most of his career developing luxury residences in Washington D.C., where he's originally from. As an avid hiker, he would frequent the Hudson Valley to explore the numerous trails that make this area a hiker's dream. Upon retiring, Roger relocated to New York and settled in Philipstown almost four years ago. 

While visiting Beacon, Roger spotted the empty lot on Main Street's western end and had a vision of building a space that provides an experience for all of the senses. He saw the exciting, ongoing renaissance Beacon was undergoing, and he wanted to be a part of that. After drawing up plans, gaining support from the neighbors, the mayor, and the chief building inspector, construction began.

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This is Roger's first boutique hotel, but it's more than simply a room to check in. You come to The Inn and Spa at Beacon for an experience. In addition to a delicious spa treatment, visitors can enjoy regular events like morning yoga on the rooftop garden facing the mountains, or waltzes under the stars on Sunday nights (Roger is also a swing dancer). Read a book by the fireplace in the solarium, and enjoy the beautiful original art on display throughout the entire spa including local glass artist, Barbara Galazzo. Roger is a BeaconArts member and plans on contributing to the vision and mission of the community.

The rooftop will be a space for live music, lounging, and yoga classes (those will move indoors for the winter). It is a perfect multifunctional space with views of Mount Beacon, Main Street, the Hudson River, and the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. 

One of the views from the rooftop

Every Tuesday will be "Beacon Tuesdays," when The Inn and Spa at Beacon will offer Beacon residents selected one-hour spa treatments for $99. They will also offer Naturopathica skin care products, the exclusive brand for the spa, to members of the Beacon Community at a 10 percent discount.

While the building may appear small from the outside, its high ceilings and spacious rooms still bring about a sense of luxury and comfort. It is almost hard to believe that this is a brand-new building, as it blends into the city's aesthetic perfectly. The building has five floors including the spa basement, but the 12 guest rooms are located from the ground floor to the top (fourth) floor.  

You can visit The Inn and Spa at Beacon this Saturday during their Open House from 5 to 7 pm, but their doors will be opening at 10 am. They will also be open on Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm. They are closed Monday but will be open again on Tuesday for their first Beacon Tuesday, so schedule your appointment today!

Movie Theater Coming Soon To Beacon In A Historic Building Near You

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UPDATE 2/28/2019: The Beacon Theater has opened! Click here for A Little Beacon Blog’s feature article.

The construction office of Highview Development Corporation is covered in layers of white pages of blueprints, dusty artifacts collected from the project on the other side of the door, and yellow sawdust blown in from the demolition going on just beyond that door. The room has the feeling of a temporary office setup, one you might see in a portable trailer parked alongside a construction site. But the wall opposite the room's door is lined in windows that overlook Main Street, as this office is on the second floor of the dilapidated Beacon Theatre, at 445 Main Street. 

Rumors have been circulating about the fate of this historic building, which sits in the heart of what was apparently known as "Theatre Square." [3/6/17 Edit: The name "Theatre Square" is referenced to in Wikipedia at the time of the research period for this article, the week of 2/20/17, and still needs to be validated.]

Though it survived bulldozers of urban renewal, the building closed as a full-time theater in 1968. Tenants over the years have included a church group - who painted the walls purple and installed purple seats - as well as a company offering private rentals to store roofing materials, and for a moment, an actual theater company. That company, 4th Wall Theatrical Productions, initially bought the theater from then-holder, The Ehrlich Company, who previously owned several other buildings in Beacon including The Roundhouse and One East Main.

When restoration costs became too high for the theater company, 4th Wall approached one of its board members, Robert McAlpine, who owned the construction company doing the renovation work on the Beacon Theatre, to see if he was interested in buying it. Robert's son Brendan McAlpine, a lawyer turned developer hailing from Long Island, DC, NYC and now Beacon, stepped in to put together a financing deal to purchase the building from the theater company. The revamped vision for the historic site included new apartments. Some Beacon residents were resistant to such a plan. 

After months of Planning Board meetings and expansive revisions to initial plans, the dust has cleared a bit. What has emerged is a mixed-use project made up of a movie theater, a concession stand serving delicious beer and wine (movie ticket not required), and rental apartments. Harry's Hot Sandwiches and By A Thin Thread will remain tenants in the building's street-level storefronts. One could surmise that Brendan was consumed so much by the history of the building while working in the office, that the building dust got into his blood, leading him to change course on his renovation plans and more deeply incorporate a restoration of sorts on the theater, which once showed "photo-plays" in the 1930s.

The Players

There are four partners in this movie theater project: Brendan McAlpine, Mike Burdge, Jason Schuler and Scott Brenner, each bringing different expertise to the table. After I met with them last week to get a hard-hat tour of the building, I had a few follow-up questions for Brendan. His reply: "I’m happy to talk all day about this exciting project."

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Mike Burdge,
Story Screen
Photo Credit: Story Screen

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Jason Schuler, Drink More Good
Photo Credit:
Drink More Good

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Scott Brenner, Drink More Good
Photo Credit: The Molecule Project

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Brendan McAlpine, Highview Development Corporation
Photo Credit: HVDC

Brendan's first concepts of the building's renovation included apartments, as well as a space to be used in a variety of ways. "A big part of the building hasn’t been in real use in a long time," says Brendan. "When I looked at the project, it was important to me to keep it an arts or community space. But it was vital that the project didn’t fail." Brendan looked into theater business models, and found that, "Generally speaking, entities that are theaters tend to not have cash flow and support loans. Pretty much, any theater you see has a public component of financing for it. Those that do not, tend to not last very long. The way to make it work was to shrink it down and have the other components to it. That’s why we came to this mixed-use approach with the rental apartments and event space."

At the end of the day, Brendan wanted to bring in movie and food professionals to partner on the project - namely Mike Burdge, Jason Schuler and Scott Brenner - who know the performance and food spaces well. Each currently runs his own business: Mike, from Beacon, started Story Screen; Jason, a native of Hopewell Junction, founded Drink More Good; and Scott, who descended from Plainview, NY, is a partner at Drink More Good. 

Pop-Up Movie Theater Gets Permanent Home

Over the past few years, you may have caught wind of Story Screen, the pop-up movie experience started by Mike Burdge. It first took place in his apartment, then in other people's homes, then at Jason Schuler and Scott Brenner's Drink More Good storefront on Main Street. Most recently, you may have caught a show at other restaurants, like Stock Up and Oak Vino. Story Screen will now have a permanent home at The Beacon Theatre, supported by a creative concession stand and bar in the main lobby. You can expect to find Drink More Good's Root Beer there, along with other signature cocktails and must-have popcorn.

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The Big Tease...Story Screen confirms rumors and unveils concept.
Photo Credit: Story Screen

Says Mike about the pop-up movie model: "I would take over a restaurant's space after business hours, license the films, and turn the space into a make-shift theater for one night." Mike's initial movie night showed "Groundhog Day" and was hosted at The Main Squeeze, a juice bar he managed just off of Main Street. Next he did a Beacon Horror Show, and a few screenings at Drink More Good. "Those went over so well, that we decided to do a Christmas one, and those did so well, that we set up a screen and a better sound system." Jason and Scott felt the movie experience fit with their brand. "We saw the importance of this nomadic pop-up theater, and we incorporated it into our space (Drink More Good) to bring it a permanent home," says Jason. 

“To be a part of its renovation now, to bring it back to life, that’s a really cool, cool, cool, cool thing. I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it.”

— Mike Burdge, Story Screen

When Brendan reached out to the trio to consider a renovated theater with a big screen and stadium seating, the movie experience makers said yes. "I’m from Beacon," says Mike. "The Beacon Theater has never been open and operational in the way that it could be since I've lived here. I am a huge movie buff. I love stories. To have a gigantic theater that is just sitting there and not doing anything was really sad. My friends used to own the coffee shop that is now the After Eden antique shop, and we would watch movies behind the shop out back in the parking lot. We could see the inside of the theater while we watched movies outside. It was just weird. I thought about using the theater, but then I found out how much money it would take to renovate it. To be a part of its renovation now, to bring it back to life, that’s a really cool, cool, cool, cool thing. I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it."

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Blueprints and visions for the marquee of The Beacon Theatre.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Places! Places!

Initially, the theater was set to be on the second floor of the building. However, it kept feeling "not quite right" to the partners. How would there be a movie theater upstairs, and an amazing concession area downstairs? As the partners mulled it over, it became clear that the only way to proceed was to put the theater on the first floor. It was pricey, and involved a 17-foot excavation of the ground beneath the theater. "It meant we had to pour concrete walls, beams, soundproof walls to a crazy degree," says Brendan. "Costs did go up, but in the end, I think we will all be much happier with the results."

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The decision left the partners with more than just a better flow of foot traffic, it legitimized the theater. "What became clear was, when the theater is on the first floor, it has legacy. What we have gained is the historical purpose," exclaims Jason. "We worked really hard to keep the community aspect in the model, and this flow of how people will come in will help ensure that."

History of The Beacon Theatre

The site for the theater was originally known as the Dibble House (as explored in A Little Beacon Blog's Beacon Restaurant and Bar article) which included a roller skating rink in 1886. According to Wikipedia and the Beacon Historical Society, the Dibble House "was torn down in 1927 with plans to construct a new and modernized theater that would be large enough to accommodate larger crowds for the rise of films, known then as 'photo-plays.' "

Brendan Mcalpine holds a poster that had been lifted out of a wall of the Theater during demolition. The Wonder Bar was a well-known jazz bar on the second floor of the theater.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The Great Depression stuck, and stalled the development for six years. The theater reopened in 1934 and was an immediate hotspot, serving moviegoers, performers, and regulars of the Wonder Bar, a favorite night spot of World War II soldiers stationed at the Army Air Corps Base at Stewart Field.

The soldiers took the ferry across from Newburgh and hopped on a bus up Main Street to listen to jazz bands perform out on the marquee, according to an article from the Beacon Free Press. Dated June 12, 1985, the profile piece captures memories from Ann McCabe Hanlon, whose father co-opened the Wonder Bar. "Many romances started there," recalls Hanlon in the article. The space's interior was a red coral, had a dance floor in the center, and a bar that curled around the room in an L-shape. The chef, named Wong, was even imported from New York City. The restaurant was open until 1950. 

The Scene and Screens 

The next incarnation of The Beacon Theatre includes plans for three screens. Two of those will have stadium seating, with "plush and cushy" chairs. One will have 85 seats, and a small screening room next to it will seat 25. An open floor-plan private screening room that can hold 50 people will not have chairs fixed to the floor, and will be available as a rentable event space to be used for various purposes: birthday parties, yoga classes, a big meeting, anything.

The movies you can expect to see at The Beacon Theatre will be ones you can catch at a Regal Cinema, and indie movies as well. The lobby/bar area will be the upscale concession stand that serves cocktails, beer and wine. In fact, the partners intend for patrons to be able to hang there without ever seeing a movie. This is Jason's area of expertise, being a professional barkeeper and cocktail designer, as well as a creator of after-hours experiences. (Most notably to Beaconites, he produced Ella's After Hours, which boasted delicious flatbread pizzas, other appetizers and creative cocktails at Ella's Bellas.) 

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renovation work includes refurbishing these Lights and original sconces from the walls of the Beacon Theatre. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Says Mike about the availability of movies in Beacon: "There are tons of music and art galleries. Those areas have been created and preserved here, but not films." While the increasing number of moviemakers who live in the Hudson Valley and in Beacon has prompted such business creations as the rental house and production studio CineHub and The Beacon Independent Film Festival, there was no permanent home for a big movie screen. 

Speaking of preservation, some elements of the original theater are being refurbished, while others no longer exist. Among objects being restored are the light sconces, which will be cleaned up and returned to their original elegant state. A sconce hangs on the wall in the picture below, ready to illuminate the ornate details.

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Old and older clash: Original sconces from the theater remain on the purple walls, which were painted by tenants running a church. they also installed purple chairs.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

"When businesses open up in Beacon, they are expected to bring something community-based, artisanal-based," says Mike. Scott chimes in: "We are all community-oriented people, which is how this project came together in the first place." Before we head downstairs to tour the raw excavation and leveled dirt that is currently the stadium seating, Jason offers a final reflection on the project: "Anything that opens in Beacon needs to be raising the bar. Our focus is on what [the community can] expect from the theater."

Nailing down an opening date is always tricky with construction projects, so keep your eye on this one, and think spring or summer. The partners won't reveal an exact open date, but Brendan is sure of one thing: "We have a couple of cool surprises that we want people to discover."

When you smell the popcorn as you walk by, you'll know they are ready.