Congratulations to Susan, Vince, and Everyone at Antalek & Moore

It was an emotional afternoon on Thursday, January 18, for a multigenerational business in Beacon. We send all of our congratulations to Antalek & Moore as the torch is passed to Executive Partners Susan Antalek Pagones and Vince Lemma. When you attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the normally quiet storefront of an insurance agency, and when well-wishers have poured out onto the sidewalk and into the intersection because so many are in attendance, it really is so heart-warming. 

Several dignitaries - including Beacon Mayor Randy Casale and State Senator Sue Serino - attended the Ribbon🎀 Cutting, a joint celebration of the Dutchess Chamber and the Beacon Chamber of Commerce. As the mayor pointed out, Antalek & Moore is one of Beacon's longest-running businesses, and employs several people.

The food at the party was local and amazing, with dishes from Mr. V’s, Leo’s wings, treats from Ella’s Bellas, Drink More Good, Alps Chocolate, BAJA 328 and others blessing the new office. Susan forced a to-go plate on my hungry eyes, and I’m so glad she did. Congratulations!!

Antalek & Moore Announces New Partnership with Vincent A. Lemma, as Longtime Beacon Advocate Pat Moore Retires (Sponsored)

Antalek & Moore's Upcoming Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

When: Thursday, January 18, 2018
Time: 4 to 5 pm
Where: Their offices at 340 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Stop By! Or RSVP: 845-245-6292

Late in December of 2017, a hand-signed letter arrived in the mail from Pat Moore, partner at Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency. The letter announced his retirement from the independently owned firm Antalek & Moore in order to pursue personal interests, which included traveling with his expanding grand-family. Maintaining independence in the insurance world has been deeply important to Pat, as he reiterated in his retirement letter: “We live in a time of high-level merger and acquisition activities of firms like ours. Maintaining our longstanding independence is proving to be the exception in today’s business environment.”
 
Of the utmost importance to Pat was hand-picking his successor, Vincent A. Lemma, to join his business partner, Susan Antalek-Pagones, in carrying the business forward into its next generation. Antalek & Moore originated in Beacon in 1853 and continues here today with the new leadership and partnership of Susan and Vincent at the helm. They are hosting a ribbon cutting to celebrate the transition on Thursday, January 18, at 4 pm. And you’re invited!

About Vincent A. Lemma, Antalek & Moore's New Partner

Vincent (please, call him Vince, he insists) started working with Pat eight years ago during a time when Vince was employed by an insurance agency owned by a bank. “Crazy things were happening with the banks,” says Vince, “and things were happening that didn’t jive with me for our customers.” He reached out to Pat to begin working in the independent world, and their business relationship blossomed.
 
As a new leader of the firm, Vince is pulling from his experience as an assistant lacrosse coach at several different colleges. As an assistant coach at Randolph Macon College, his team knocked nationally ranked Washington and Lee out of the playoffs in 1997, fueling his competitive drive to work with a team of young people balancing sports, school and teamwork. Coaching also allowed him to leave his home state of New York to experience different parts of the country, and return later to settle down into the insurance profession.
 
“As an athlete, you need to overcome hurdles to win. In this industry, we face those hurdles on a daily basis. As a coach, you need to understand how to help your employees overcome those hurdles.”
 
Vince believes that 90 percent of problems in the insurance world are caused by simple misunderstandings, and he aims to educate current and future customers of Antalek & Moore to help them know their coverage. He believes that working with an independent agent gives customers an advantage. “When you’re not working with your agent and your broker, things get difficult, and you think the insurance companies are out to get you. We fight for the insurance company to cover everything they agreed to cover in the agreement with the customer.”
 
You can meet Vince any time by scheduling an appointment with him, but the most fun way will be to attend their upcoming ribbon cutting, right on Main Street, conveniently located in the middle of town, near Rite Aid. In fact, park in the free parking lot behind Rite Aid and BAJA, and you're on Antalek & Moore's back doorstep! Stop in, welcome Vince to the position, and look for more from this new development at Antalek & Moore.

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Antalek & Moore is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and this article was created with them as part of our Sponsor Spotlight program. It is with the support of businesses like theirs that A Little Beacon Blog can bring you coverage of news, local happenings and events. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! If you would like to become a Sponsor or Community Partner, please click here for more information.

The Shopping Guide Shuffle: The Latest in New + Old Shops in Beacon

Just when there seemed to be a settling in of the stores, a whole lot of movement happened in the storefront community on Main Street Beacon. Here are a few moves:

Closed: Trendy Tots - Beacon's Kids Consignment Store

296 Main Street
Beacon, NY 12508
Trendy Tots Take Two, the kids consignment store in the sweet corner yellow house, has closed. Owned by a husband and wife team, this store had been a resource for parents who consigned gently used kids' stuff, and bought low-priced, high-quality items. Owner Jenn had a discerning eye for threads and did not accept everything that was brought into the store. Toward the end of summer 2017, the store posted a sign that said it would be closed until September. Small business owners often make personal choices like this - basing Open Hours around family needs. One time, Jenn was in a car accident and hurt her hip. Another time, the couple were caring for an aging parent and their open hours became inconsistent, but later returned to normal.

But September came and went, and the shop never reopened. In fact, the building and the grassy lot next to it, as well as the warehouse behind that which was known to be rented by artists from time to time, were put on the market to be sold. Asking price was $1 million. According to the realtor, there has been an offer on the property. The merchandise inside of the store has been removed, and we were unable to reach the owners to see if Trendy Tots is relocating.

Open: Wee Bitty Kids - New Kids Consignment Store

178 Main Street
Beacon, NY 12508
Just in the nick of time, a local mom, Jenny Donovan, opened Wee Bitty Kids, LLC, near Artisan Wine Shop on the west end of town near Bank Square Coffee. This has replaced the vintage shop Classic Couture Fashion Boutique. The owner of Classic Couture, Leah, has said she will send us an update when she finds the next location for her collection of vintage fashions.

In the meantime, Jenny is taking new consigners and has new and gently used clothing and items for sale. You can learn more about the store via Classic Couture's website and Facebook page.

Note: The new shop, Wee Bitty Kids, has no connection to the volunteer-based nonprofit group, the Wee Play Project, who runs the annual Ree-Play Sale fundraiser every April to raise money for Beacon's parks and library projects.

Loopy Mango Replaces Heart & Soul Apothecary

500 Main Street
Beacon, NY 12508
Longtime oils concoction artist, Leah Quinn, maintained a storefront at this corner store. Inside, she carried anything you might need to solve most any ailment. If it wasn't there, Leah would tell you how to make it. Over the summer of 2017, Leah packed it in at the storefront and went digital all the way. She seems to be exploding from her website, offering Subscription Boxes, workshops, and what looks to be a new line of clothing, like this hoodie.  Don't worry, you can still get Leah's Wonder Salve online here! It truly is wonderful, especially for eczema and sufferers of super chapped lips.

Loopy Mango has replaced the physical location of Heart & Soul, and ... all we can say is Wow. No stranger to retail, Loopy Mango has over 41,000 followers on Instagram, and has had a store in New York City since 2004. This location is all about "big loop" yarn, which is some really big and soft strands of yarn. They are so into it, they make their own in Key Largo, FL. Who is "they"? The business owners are corporate refugees who met in an art class, while "Loopy" is a German shepherd, and "Mango" is an orange cat. As for the people, according to their website:

Waejong Kim was born in Korea. She moved to Japan for college and after graduating from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies she worked as an interpreter and later opened a Korean fusion restaurant in Nagoya, Japan. She moved to New York after 9/11 and worked for a corporate housing company. She taught herself how to crochet, took a long vacation, and never returned to the corporate world. Waejong has a German shepherd named Loopy and and orange cat named Mango.

Anna Pulvermakher was born in Russia. She moved to Seattle, WA, with her family and after graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Mathematics, she worked for Microsoft and Expedia as a Software Test Engineer. In 2003, she moved to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a professional artist.

Hudson Valley Fitness Center Renames to Zoned Fitness

Hudson Valley Fitness has rebranded to Zoned Fitness, and boy are they in the zone. We've watched their website for a number of years as we looked up information for A Little Beacon Blog's Adult Classes Guide, and the latest updates demonstrate that they are clearly in the zone, and are ready to transform your body. Their services Include food and nutrition training as well. Branding done by Beacon locals Rabe & Co.

New Fitness Center Coming Soon - The Studio at Beacon

Also on our radar! The Studio@Beacon, down near the Howland Public Library and Royal Crepes, is opening in January and will have a juice bar. Based on what drives the owners, the studio will likely specialize in boxing and cycling. With creative branding done by Kingston Creative.(P.S. Kingston Creative kind of has a thing for Beacon, and just released a 16 Most Instagrammed Places in Beacon, according to actual numbers. You'd be surprised who made the list!)

Halvey Funeral Home Replaces Vacant Restaurant on 9D at 2 Beekman Street

Former shell of restaurants at 2 Beekman.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Just up the road from the world famous art museum Dia: Beacon, sat Lucky's (formerly River Terrace), a closed restaurant with an often-chilly patio that occupied a prime location on the Hudson River. For two years it sat vacant, and for the past six years it housed a succession of floundering restaurant business models that failed and fled. The most action the property saw was when the parking lot was used for overflow parking from Rose Hill, the childcare center across the street, during its toddler graduation each spring. For prospective new restaurants, an advertised rent of $7,000/month to fill the space was extremely unattractive, and the former Lucky's sign, long forgotten and broken with exposed, burnt-out fluorescent bulbs, littered 9D as people drove into downtown Beacon.

A Business Relocation & Expansion

The Halvey Funeral home at 24 Willow St., soon to relocate to 2 Beekman. The home will be put up for sale on the residential market.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Enter Halvey Funeral Home, a third-generation Beacon business established in 1933, currently based at 24 Willow St. in a residential neighborhood. According to Patrick Halvey, the third-generation son who is taking over the family business, locating funeral homes in neighborhoods was historically preferred by grieving families and well-wishers in times past. Times have changed, and the trend of funeral homes being located in actual houses has shifted to their presence in more commercial areas. Halvey Funeral Home is now moving from Willow Street into its new home at 2 Beekman Street. It can be viewed from Route 9D, if one were turning down Beekman to go to Dia or Long Dock Park. The home at 24 Willow St. will be listed for sale in the residential market.

Location, Location

The prospect of locating a funeral home on riverfront real estate had some Beacon residents questioning if that was the best use of the property. But the building had been vacant and decrepit for two years. The climate for development and change in Beacon right now is ultra-sensitive; so many projects have green-lit their intentions simultaneously now that there is a population to buy what developers are building. This momentum puts the spotlight on all types of projects being built, as well as on each project's plans for parking, which would be necessary for people to take advantage of whatever business services fill those projects.

Improvements From Expansion

The ugly, broken sign touting a former restaurant will be gone now.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Beacon-based architect Aryeh Siegel was hired for the funeral home project to design a building that highlighted the riverfront views to friends and families who came to remember loved ones. Beacon's Planning Board recommended adding landscape design, to cushion the building. At Halvey Funeral Home's Willow Street location, parking was an issue as gatherings grew quite large. More spaces drew Halvey to the Beekman location. "Parking is the main advantage that attracted us to that site," says Joe Guarneri, construction manager of the project. "We have 36 marked spots in the new lot, with room for parking in back and front yielding another 12 spots, for a total of 48 [parking spots]." 

Planning Board Member Jill Reynolds, who is also co-artist/founder at Ten Willow Studio, a glass design partnership specializing in architectural installations, had recommended that the funeral home extend the sidewalk. She pointed put during a Planning Board meeting that the sidewalk there is incomplete. Regular walkers experience the sidewalk's end, and either walk in the street or on the grass to complete their journey to 9D from the train station area. Halvey agreed to expand the sidewalk. "We are extending the Beekman Street sidewalk on the city-owned lot at the corner of Route 9D and Beekman," Joe confirmed.

New Life for Halvey Funeral Home

Opening soon, Halvey Funeral Home will be operating under the new name Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey LLC, under the ownership of third-generation Patrick Halvey. If, on Saturday November 11 from 11 am to 4 pm, you see white doves flying into the sky, know that they have been released during a celebratory, public ribbon-cutting for the new facility. If you hear music or see tents, it may remind you of the sounds emanating from the former restaurants, but it is part of the funeral home's festivities. To celebrate the new riverview patio during the ribbon-cutting party, there will be beer, spirits, soda, coffee, donuts, and food from Beacon merchants.

The new Riverview Funeral Home on Beekman Street in Beacon, just down the hill from Route 9D.
Photo Credits: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Editorial Note: Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey LLC has advertised on A Little Beacon Blog, but their ad campaign is separate from this article. Their promotion of their ribbon-cutting is a coincidence to our publishing of this milestone notice for this property in Beacon, which we have been researching for some time. We do appreciate their support!

Cafe Amarcord Set To Open Brick Oven Pizza Restaurant in Beacon - Across the Street!

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

As I was walking down the street one day, I got to chatting with someone about #allthingsbeacon, and they asked me if I knew about the new Italian restaurant going into the former karate school space next to Mr. V's Deli. I had not yet heard about this development, but was intrigued.

"Can you believe it?" they asked, "an Italian restaurant right across the street from Amarcord? The nerve." If you didn't know already, know now: Cafe Amarcord is one of Beacon's favorite restaurants, lauded for its fresh, Mediterranean menu. (Check out this review from Hudson Valley Magazine, who really liked the pan-roasted mussels in a white wine garlic sauce, bucatini Amatriciana, pappardelle with black pepper ricotta and dried tomatoes, as well as "a skewer of rosemary-infused lamb served on creamy polenta with a sauce of lemon.") Beaconites are very protective of their local businesses, so they care about what opens where, and whether a new Italian food business would be opening across the street from a longtime business. Amarcord has been open in Beacon for eleven years, so it has quite a following.

Picture of the building housing Mr. V's Deli before exterior renovations began for Amarcord's future brick oven pizza place.
Photo Credit: Google Maps

Paper went up on the windows of the short building across the street from Amarcord, and construction began, building out a kitchen and transforming the tired space. When the decorative faux windows and new shingles went up on the roof, Rifo Murtovic, owner of Cafe Amarcord, stepped out of his usual perch in the doorway of his restaurant to stand on the sidewalk of the other side of the street, surveying the construction.

#sameteam! Pizza or Fine Italian

Our investigation began immediately, seeking confirmation from Rifo that he himself was the one opening the rumored pizza restaurant. "It will be brick oven pizza," he described. "More casual than Amarcord." The heat source of the oven? Wood. As for making changes to the facade of a building he does not own: "I just want it to look nice," he marveled, while looking at the building seeing in his mind's eye a vision of post-renovation perfection. 

The owner of Royal Crepes was also outside on the sidewalk during the interview for this article, and enthusiastically interjected more detail: "The pizzas won't be like most Mediterranean around here. They will each be personal pies, and the meat for the toppings will be cut right in front of you. It's part of the experience." Personal, flat pizza pies of the freshest ingredients are the norm in Italy, and they are about to become an option in Beacon as well. Wine and beer will also be available. As of now, there are no plans for delivery.

Flavors from Tuscany? Yes, please. Congratulations to Rifo on the new addition.

This article is the first in our series covering businesses in Beacon who have opened second or more locations in Beacon. We are currently brainstorming names for this series. Got any? Submit ideas here in the Comments!

Rhinebeck Bank Re-Launches Art Program In Its Beacon Branch (Sponsor Partner Post)

Eager to support its local community, Rhinebeck Bank has dedicated the lobby of its Beacon and Rhinebeck branches to feature the art of local artists for six- to eight-week exhibitions, a program they have re-launched to include more artists.

The first artist to be featured in the Beacon branch, at 1476 NY-9D (technically in Wappingers Falls, across the street from the Dollar General) is Stanley Lindwasser, a new Beacon resident from Forest Hills, Queens, and Hoboken, New Jersey. Stanley spent decades teaching in the New York City public school system, and relocated to Beacon with his wife Helen and little dog Rembrandt last year. This is his first opportunity showing in a gallery in Beacon, albeit a comfortable waiting lounge for customers of the bank.

"Because we are a community bank," says Michelle Barone-Lepore, Vice President of Marketing for Rhinebeck Bank, "it's important for us to stay connected to art and the artists in the community. Supporting the community is very important to us, and this is one way in which we do so." As for participating in Beacon's Second Saturday with their new gallery, the Beacon branch is open on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Stanley Lindwasser's paintings will be on display for October's Second Saturday, and will remain up through November 3.

Artists who are accepted into the program and have shows in the gallery reap the benefit of Rhinebeck Bank's social media reach, as well as an Opening Reception put on by the bank. How has the reaction been received by the public? "They love it," says Michelle. "For some artists, we hold receptions after-hours for people to come view their artwork. We had a reception for the artist Harvey Silver. He had over 50 people attend his artwork reception and he auctioned off a framed print to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas."

The artist Stanley LIndwasser pictured in his studio on the left. On the right are several of his paintings hung in his exhibit at the Beacon Branch of Rhinebeck Bank.

How to Apply to Rhinebeck Bank's Art Program

Interested artists can email artwork@rhinebeckbank.com or call (845) 454-8555. Include one or a few photos of your artwork so that the deciders can have an immediate frame of reference for your work. Artwork may be displayed for six to eight weeks in either the Rhinebeck or Beacon branch locations. Artwork may be listed for sale if desired, but that is not a requirement. Rhinebeck Bank does not make a commission from sales of artwork, and there is no fee to display.

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Rhinebeck Bank is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and this article was created with them as part of our Sponsor Spotlight program. It is with the support of businesses like this, that A Little Beacon Blog can bring you coverage of news, local happenings and events. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! If you would like to become a Sponsor or Community Partner, please click here for more information.

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.