When the famed Beacon Barkery moved next door to its original location at the corner of Main Street and Willow Street, several people just thought it closed, and didn't see its newly decorated storefront window next door. What even more folks didn't know was that the original owners, Libby Faison and Nanci Pate, hadn't been in the Barkery since before the move, as they sold it to Donald McNeal, the father of one of their new employees, Jon McNeal.
Ten years ago, Libby and Nanci opened the Beacon Barkery to give back to the dog and cat populations in Beacon. Through their work within the community, they brought thousands of people and pets to Beacon through such annual events such as the Beacon Barks Parade, which attracted people from all over the state of New York, and was the unofficial kickoff to Spring during the first week of April. The Beacon Barkery became a known destination as a specialty pet boutique for healthy food options, quality clothing, treats, and the owners' experienced advice. For instance, it is to Libby's credit that I eliminated chicken from my dog's diet, as she had developed an allergy to it, causing her to itch and bite her skin, and eventually rip her hair out. Test after test revealed nothing, until one day, Libby suggested cutting out grain and chicken. It was the chicken that did it. My dog was cured and calm. No antihistamines necessary after that.
As of this spring, the Barkery has a new owner. Several business owners in Beacon already know him from his regular rounds, during his full-time job as route manager for a pest control company; Libby knew him as a customer. The Barkery isn't the first business Donald has owned, but he walked into it with similar passion for pets, their communities, and his own family's involvement in running the store.
The Background to the Beacon Barkery
When Libby and Nanci opened the Barkery, they had full-time jobs. They kept those up during all of the years they ran the Barkery, and still maintain to this day. Libby is a school administrator (now mostly retired, but working in the Wappingers School District), and Nanci is an occupational therapist who also works in schools. Two of their children worked in the store. One of them, Becca, even helped manage the store. Would the Barkery have paid the bills if they'd wanted to leave their full-time jobs? "No," says Libby. "There were three kids here and a mortgage. We really opened the Barkery not to make our first million, but to give back to the community on behalf of dogs and cats. We wanted to help the dog and cat population."
So what was the catalyst to selling? There wasn't one! "We were downsizing so that we could start doing some retirement planning." When I texted Libby questions for this story, she responded from Italy, so I asked her if traveling was part of those retirement plans. "Yes, like going to Italy. Honestly, when you own a store, it's really hard to plan a two-week vacation abroad." Jon, one of their recent employees who was quite enthusiastic about The Beacon Barkery, had told his father, Donald, that it was for sale. Jon and Donald were customers on behalf of their pug family, so the pull to own was strong.
The Puppia Harnesses That First Attracted Donald to the Beacon Barkery.
New Guys In Town
Though Donald and Jon live in and commute from Hopewell Junction, and are new to Main Street as shop owners, they've been around Beacon's Main Street for a long time. Through his day job, Donald counts several Main Street businesses, including Zora Dora's and Kitchen Sink, as his customers in the pest control business. He's also not new to entrepreneurship, having owned several businesses in the past, including his own pest control business, a barber shop, and even a fire extinguisher company. "I’m an entrepreneur at heart," he says.
It was the Puppia harnesses (pictured above) that first brought Donald into the Barkery. The McNeals are a pug family, owning three of them: Angel, 9 years old, Casper, 1 year old, and Eddie, 6 months old. Says Donald: "We always shopped here, and we first came for the harnesses. We went to a pug meet and I was the only one without a harness. When I went shopping for one, nobody had them, except the Barkery. We always liked the store. After Jon told my wife and I that it was for sale, my wife kept at me, 'When we going to buy the Barkery?'"
The new Primal refrigerator for a larger raw food selection.
The New Beacon Barkery
Much is the same in the store, except that it's one door down, thanks to a rent increase that kicked in shortly after the McNeals moved in. Once the new ownership was transferred into place, the landlord increased the rent, so the McNeals packed it up and moved next door. They quickly painted the new space, set up new lighting, got new decals on the windows, and more. Says Jon: "People are finding us. The Car Show helped us. More customers who aren’t local know about us now, and for the locals, they are passing us in the new store, and they see that we are open."
New product is being carried also, such as Primal Raw Dog and Cat Food, freeze-dried treats, and goats milk. The new Primal refrigerator just arrived, and it will be fully stocked this week. For my picky cat with a chronic ear problem, I tried the raw goats milk at Donald's suggestion. “It's the way nature meant to feed our pets.” I have to say, never having ventured into the raw world myself, my picky cat who drinks no water, drank the milk. New clothing is arriving in the store, and the Beacon Barkery maintains it is the largest carrier of the Puppia and Easy Dog harness lines in the area.
Tasty dog and cat snacks.
Beacon Barkery To Continue Community Work
As active participants in the pug community, Donald and Jon know the value of socializing among pets, and giving back. "We have had one dog adoption already, and we plan on doing cat adoptions, and more adoptions in general. We would love to work with the new vet." They aim to continue with the Beacon Barks Parade.
Dog treat cookies, decorated for the season, are in the Beacon Barkery.
What's Next for Libby and Nanci?
Libby and Nanci are not done with their animal work, nor with the Beacon Barks Parade. Says Libby: "We are going to be working with the Beacon Barkery for the Beacon Barks Parade, and will contact the Dutchess County SPCA in 2017. We will be volunteers!"
The Beacon Barks Parade isn't the only thing they are staying connected to. "We miss being in Beacon. We live in Wappingers, and we were down in Beacon every day. Now we are just customers of the Beacon Barkery!"
Advice on Running a Local Store
Libby and Nanci started the Beacon Barkery to improve a community, and it's the community that is the most important for them for running a local business. "It's very important to be part of what's going on, and being active. It also makes it much more fun, when you know your customers and the community. You help each other."
Shop and restaurant owners can often get stuck inside of their stores. Is it important to step outside? "You need to step outside of your shop and be involved. There were times that we had adoptions, and put our tent up out front, and did special kinds of celebrations. Like our Food Fest. The community needs to be able to find you. Beacon's Main Street is a very long Main Street. It's not all that easy for people on the East end to know what's going on the West end."
Cheers, Libby and Nanci, to your new working-retirement! Soon after the sale, Libby and Nanci booked themselves a trip to Italy to enjoy a good two-week vacation, something small business owners rarely experience.
Cheers to Donald and Jon, to your exciting new adventure as owners of the Beacon Barkery and helping so many dogs and cats feel good all over, even in quality fashion!
Libby (left) and Nanci (right) on their first two-week vacation after selling The Beacon Barkery.
The story of Sarabeth's orange apricot marmalade is what always attracts me to the plain-fonted logo wherever I see it, in this case, on the shelves at Key Food. So when I spotted the bag of Sarabeth's French Vanilla coffee in the coffee aisle of Key Food, I had to have it. Sarabeth's started in 1981 from the apartment of a woman living in New York City. Sarabeth made up some batches of her family's 200-year-old recipe, jarred it, and sold it. The marmalade became wildly popular, and was featured on Oprah Winfrey's TV show. Sarabeth went on to open several restaurants. I have fond memories of brunching in Manhattan's West 80s, and I still pine for their Salmon Eggs Benedict. These days, Sarabeth's has 16 restaurants all over the world.
Everyone is hooked on their particular brand of coffee, and we certainly have some incredible choices to choose from locally, like Stumptown at Beacon Pantry and Tas Kafe at Ella's Bellas, while others never leave home without their variously dripped coffee from Bank Square. Oh, and now that Crepe Royal offers Turkish coffee, well, I'm just not sure what you're going to do.
Personally, I'm hooked on Starbucks Italian Roast (I don't drink coffee from a Starbucks store unless it's a One-Pump Vanilla Latte, but I do buy the bag from Key Food or Hannaford and make it myself), a very dark bean. Every morning, I make my own at home in a French press (find one at Bank Square or Utensil) or the AeroPress (find it at Mountain Tops) using a super dark bean.
Normally, I don't do flavored creamers or beans. However, the best part about flavored coffee is the aroma. I may brew it just to sweeten up the kitchen. So on the weekend, I decided to sprinkle a little scoop of the Sarabeth's French Vanilla into my usual dark Italian Roast and have a different cup of coffee on a quiet Saturday morning.
The result? Relaxing. I fixed it for my neighbor and even gave her half a bag of ground beans, knowing it would take me a while to get through them. This is how she responded months later when she finally made coffee at home (she buys it every morning):
Hence, the recommendation of the coffee is making it to A Little Beacon Blog for you to try, too!
Do Try The Jam for Breakfast or Brunch or Lunch!
You'll also find the jam in Key Food. It's one of the fanciest jars on the shelf, so you may want to wait until it goes on sale and then stock up, and only if you like blended flavors. But it's quite a large jar, the size of spaghetti sauce, so you are getting a lot of jam for the price.
Dozens of painted and built-out hats have been hanging in Beacon Bath and Bubble since October's Second Saturday, and are now moving across the street to the Howland Cultural Center to be put on display for the Beacon Historical Society's big fundraising event and silent auction, on November 5 from 1 to 5 pm! The theme of the hat decoration was "Beacon's Past or Beacon's Present."
My inspiration was decades-old newspapers, and showcasing what they looked like and covered over the years. The tricky part was getting into the Beacon Historical Society's headquarters and archives inside of the Howland Cultural Center - during their very limited open hours!
Finally, after taking the walking tour of the east end two weekends ago (just one of several fundraisers they have been having this month), I was able to slip in and be escorted to the newspaper archives. Containing decades of editions, they reside in the bound books upstairs in the narrow library of the The Howland. In a very special box, there I found "The First Newspaper Printed in the City of Beacon" in 1913, the year of the Beacon Evening Journal's merged creation.
Several clippings stood out, but my biggest takeaways from looking through various editions were how Beacon has always had high aspirations and been very proud of its community. And just look at that school achievement! The news stories were not so different from what they are today, from violent crime to announcements for Girl Scout meetings and baby support circles.
A comic strip runs along the bottom: Ella Cinders. She seems to be a director in the 1930s, dealing with a condescending boss and other questionable male professionals. Get it... CinderElla?
This project could not have been possible without Byrdie's on-demand color printing over at Accuprint near Homespun. Byrdie has been known to save many of us who need a flyer or menu fast, and the machines keep on whirring in her little print shop as her mother does taxes and bookkeeping in the back, and her father provides general oversight and support throughout the building.
Your Weekend Guide to events, shopping, restaurants and beauty.
Hello!
This weekend is loaded with options! Here is your easy access to planning. These are weekend dates pulled from some of A Little Beacon Blog's 10 Things To Do In Beacon Guides, so be sure to check them during the week.
Pumpkins in the Park Jack O'Lantern Lighting
Carving: Monday to Thursday, October 24 to 27, 2016 Carving Time: 3 to 6 pm Lighting: Friday, October 28, 2016 Lighting Time: 6 to 8 pm Location: Long Dock Park, Beacon waterfront
Weekday afternoons , visit Long Dock Park to put your carving skills to use on pumpkins provided by Scenic Hudson. Stick around Friday evening, when the jack o'lanterns will be set aglow and displayed throughout the park. Information >
International Film Night Day: Friday, October 28, 2016 Time: 7 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Beacon Historial Society Luncheon Day: Sunday, October 30, 2016 Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Location: Outback Steakhouse, Route 9, Wappingers Falls, NY Information >
Kids' Halloween Craft Event Day: Monday, October 31, 2016 Time: 12:30 to 3:30 pm Location: Fishkill Recreation Center, 793 Route 52, Fishkill, NY Information >
Anime & Manga Club Day: Friday, October 28, 2016 Time: 3 to 5 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Babysitters Preparedness Course
Ages: 12 & up
Date: Saturday, October 29, 2016
Time: 9 am to 4 pm
Location: All Sport, 17 Old Main St., Fishkill, NY Information >
Painting Day of the Dead Skull Masks with Debbie Lane Day: Saturday, October 29, 2016 Time: 1 to 2 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Beginning Photographer Fall Foliage Photo Excursion with Karl LaLonde Day: Saturday, Oct 29, 2016 Time: 9 am to 1 pm Location: RiverWinds Gallery, 172 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Ghost Hunting Day: Sunday, October 30, 2016 Time: 2 to 3 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Visit our Adult Classes Guide for upcoming classes.
Vassar College Halloween 5K Fun Run Day: Saturday, October 29, 2016 Registration: Begins at 10 am Time: 11 am Location: Vassar College - North parking lot off Collegeview Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY Information>
Visit our 5K Race Guide for upcoming races in the area.
Read about the great time that was had at FitKidz Parent/Kid Yoga Workshop at A Little Beacon Space here. We also worked up a good sweat at our first Drop 'N Give Me 20 class. Stay tuned for the next one!
Read about more upcoming Pop-Up events!
**Host your own pop-up shop at A Little Beacon Space! More details here.
This weekend marks the last that Get Frosted Cupcakery will be open in Beacon. Please go in, buy a cupcake, and wish Karen the best for “what life has in store for her next” - her words from our interview about life after three years of living her dream.
Mondays can be tough, but The Vault makes them better with its extended happy hour! Head in from 4 pm to 10 pm for great deals on bottles, drafts, wine, and cocktails.
Lunch at Barb’s Butchery! The menu is simple. The sandwiches are delicious. When you have beef and pork this good, you don’t need much to dress it up for an incredible meal!
Halloween is here, and at BAJA 328 that means even your tequila gets dressed up. Try this spooky tequila on its own or in one of Baja’s signature cocktails!
Our Restaurant Guide has all of your options - even eateries you didn't know about! Keep the Guide open on your phone because we list all websites and phone numbers, making it easy for you to tap-to-call!
It’s snowed!! Winter is coming, and you need these boots from Mountain Tops. Fashionable yet practical. Who says you can’t brave the weather while looking good?
The East End, formerly known as Pfotoshop, has a selection of beautiful and oh-so-cozy Farm2Fashion ponchos and wraps that you need to head in and feel to fully appreciate.
Have you been in “the chair”? The eye doctor is in at Luxe Optique, where a comprehensive eye exam is only $65, or FREE with the purchase of glasses. The friendly staff will even process your insurance claim for you!
Get excited for the first annual Style Storehouse Pop-Up Holiday Shop on Friday, November 11 at 6 pm! The WHOLE STORE will move to the Crew Restaurant on South Road in Poughkeepsie for an evening of shopping, food, drinks, and all-around good times.
All shops in Beacon are listed in this Shopping Guide, from Home Decor to Kids Fashion to Vintage and more. Keep it open on your phone as you're walking around shopping!
From the hairs on your head to the toes on your feet, there are many ways to pamper yourself and your pet in our Beauty Guide.
We know what you're thinking. ... "I want my business featured here!"
Pictures shown above are from our advertising partners in the Things To Do In Beacon Guides. We can include your most exciting news here, too!
A special Open House will be taking place on Saturday, November 5, from noon to 4 pm at The Beacon Veterinary Associates (formerly Roosevelt on the Hudson) at 385 Main St. in Beacon. Come meet the new owner, Dr. Nick Spaccarelli, and his team, who will be caring for your furry loved ones. You can get a tour of the facility and enjoy refreshments and snacks.
BeaconArts held their monthly member meeting at TERRESON: Beacon this week, updating business, art and supporting members about their fiscal partner projects. The annual holiday party will be Tuesday, December 6, where all are invited, even non-members, as it’s a great way to meet other artists, businesses and supporters of the arts. And you can think about being a member for next year! Do it.
Antalek & Moore
October is Cyber Security Month, and last week major hack crippled websites including PayPal, Amazon, and, most likely, your friendly neighborhood businesses’ websites. With invisible threats coming from all corners of the globe, Antalek & Moore has been encouraging Cyber Liability Insurance for small businesses. Check in with Antalek & Moore to find out why: 845-245-6292
Tin Shingle
If you’re ready to take your small business to the next level with effective press and social media strategies, Tin Shingle is the resource you need. From expert articles to live online training sessions, SEO basics to advanced Instagram tactics, and a community of supportive fellow entrepreneurs at your fingertips, you will have everything you need to get the word out about your business. Join today!
InHouse Design Media
Need help coming up with ideas for your social media streams? Do you wish your website looked or did something different? InHouse Design Media can help!
All Sport Health & Fitness
Come in to All Sport on Sunday at 10:15 am for a Halloween-themed Zumba dance party! The '90s tunes will be turned up, three instructors will be leading the dance workout, and it’s free for members. Wear your costume!
A Little Beacon Space
Located in the heart of Beacon's Main Street, A Little Beacon Space is an ideal location for meet-ups, photoshoots, workshops, seminars, pop-up shops, and more. Host your own event or attend one of A Little Beacon Blog’s pop-up experiences in the space. Contact us today with your questions and ideas! See here for rental details!
Karen Rokitowski's mom was sitting in the back of Get Frosted Cupcakery one Thursday afternoon, as she usually did, because Karen takes care of her aging mom on that day. Karen, the co-founder and owner of Get Frosted Cupcakery, was reflecting on the three years she has run Get Frosted on Beacon's Main Street. She turned to ask her mom a question: "Mom, did you ever think I was going to own a cupcakery?" Her mom simply nodded, and said: "Of course. You always wanted to do it when you were little."
The question is a fair one because prior to opening her first shop on Beacon's Main Street, Karen was a cosmetic chemist for 28 years in the corporate world, having worked for Elizabeth Arden, Avon, Chanel and Burt's Bees. She is directly responsible for the compositions of some beauty products many women use, as she holds three patents for her work: one for an Elizabeth Arden mascara, which uses her alcohol-modified wax to prevent it from drying out quickly and clumping up on lashes, and two patents for toothpaste and shampoo for Burt's Bees.
When Karen left the corporate world, she remembered how she did not know what she was going to do, and let herself be open to what "The Universe had in store" for her. She left North Carolina and returned to New York to reevaluate what she wanted. Karen has always found baking therapeutic: "It's like gardening. Like meditation." She never tires or gets bored of making each little cupcake, cake pop, or white-chocolate baguette.
One night, Karen and her sister were at a party and were analyzing the baked goods situation, and said to each other: "I think we can do better." Together, they looked around Beacon and couldn't find a cupcake to their standards. (Can anyone make a better cupcake than a chemist?) Karen credits her sister for pushing her to open Get Frosted, which they did together, and Karen bought out her sister's share a year later.
Catalyst For The Closure
When Karen opened, she told her accountant that she'd give it three years. Most of her business relied on foot traffic, which ebbed and flowed over time. Large orders for weddings and birthday parties increased, and both the foot traffic and large orders kept Karen in the black, having no debts at the three-year mark. At the beginning of October, her landlord presented her with a new lease. "They did increase my rent more than my business can absorb, especially with the price of eggs and butter rising." She adds, "The heating bill is astronomical here." As she was reflecting on the milestone third-year mark, debating whether to place her next big ingredients order, the decision became clear: "When the new lease came in, they made my decision for me."
"Did You Just Open?"
During our interview, the shop doorbell proudly rang its hopeful ring, and a customer walked in, looking for business donations for a local elementary school. While making her pitch, the fundraiser couldn't keep her eyes off the generously frosted cupcakes in the case, and took a moment to ask about the business, inquiring if Karen had just opened the store because she'd never seen it before - a common question for businesses on Main Street who rely on foot traffic. Karen calmly answered: "I've been here for three years."
Before continuing our interview, I asked Karen: "What's the key to being found on Main Street?" And we just laughed. Why is it so hard to stop into a store and find out what is in there? It's why A Little Beacon Blog has the "Come In!" series, exploring the interior of stores and sharing interviews with business owners, and illustrates why the series is so popular. Karen has two theories: "Main Street is so narrow, that people driving in their cars don't have time to stop and look around. But a lot of the complaints I get include 'I couldn't find a spot out front, so I decided not to stop.'"
Note to self: Walk everywhere. Smell the baking bread and sweets. Head into the shop.
What's Next?
Karen's already had an offer to be a baker for someone in Westchester, but isn't sure yet what direction she wants to take. "I'm going to wait and see what The Universe has in store for me." Could Karen work for someone else? "I don't know. I feel like I've done this, lived my dream. It's something I wanted to do since I was 12; I feel like I want to do something else. I just don't know what that is yet."
We wish Karen THE BEST on her next adventure, and thank her for bringing such sweetness to Beacon. Please open the door to ring that shop bell to give her a hug and buy your last cupcake.
Sponsor Disclaimer: Get Frosted Cupcakery was an advertiser in The Things To Do In Beacon Guides, so we had the pleasure of seeing her every week and getting to know her better when we came in to take photos of her cupcakes for our weekly newsletter and her photo gallery in our Restaurant Guide. This article is not part of her advertising.
A screenshot from The Hop's home page, taken 10/24/16.
Just another Monday night, finishing up work, when the text comes in: "The Hop is closed?!" Which is a shocking text to receive, as we had just been there Friday night with family, and the leftovers are still in our fridge. Several tables had diners, the bar was full, and a private party enjoyed themselves in the next room. Sure enough, a check of their Facebook page and website confirmed the news.
What is the case with The Hop? It was a New York Times darling (mentioned here and here), having been written about several times in many publications. It had full seating - indoors and out! - and parking to match. One couldn't really get in without reservations; in such cases, we were lucky to squeeze in at the bar for a meal. [Edit 10/26/16, post-publishing: The Hop and its building are now listed for sale in The New York Times),
[Edit 10/25/16, post-publishing]: With regard to the rent-increase issue that growing numbers of Beacon storefronts are facing, one of The Hop's partners owns the building at 554 Main Street. The building, its apartments and business have been listed for sale one day after announcing the closure.
[Edit 10/25/16, post-publishing]: Akin to "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show" pipelines, talented employees who worked at The Hop years ago have spun out of The Hop and are now proprietors of their own establishments, including John-Anthony Gargiulo, who opened the Hudson Valley Brewery at 7 East Main Street, and Harrison Manning, who opened Harry's Hot Sandwiches at 449 Main Street, neither of whom have a role in the current Hop. Originally, when The Hop opened on Main Street in the location that is now Beacon Bath & Bubble, it had three owners: John Kelly, Chris Kavanagh and Matt Hutchins, and has two now: Kavanagh and Kelly. When he was a partner, Hutchins was the chef and was behind the original creative flavors that helped establish The Hop's strong culinary reputation.
According to The Hop's website, as of this publishing date of October 24, 2016: "The Hop is closed until further notice."
[Edit 10/26/16, post-publishing]: The Hop's Facebook Page has since been disabled, so links to it may not go anywhere.
Published to their Facebook page, just hours after publishing a cute promo for beer, a post used this language: "The Hop is now closed indefinitely. Thank you all for making it a success. Cheers!" It is unconfirmed whether this message went up after the message was posted on the website, so as to indicate a follow-up, with the words: "is now closed," as opposed to maybe being closed. Neither message indicates finality because of the word choices: "indefinitely" and "until further notice."
Speculation about the precise meaning of these words is happening because a closure is just so unbelievable. An anchor on the east end of town, The Hop is a helpful destination for fueling your afternoon or evening strolls to visit galleries or shops. It, along with several other restaurants on Main Street, have helped Beacon tremendously in terms of keeping people here for dinner or lunch, as opposed to traveling up or down the Hudson River to find another eatery with a great experience.
Confirmation is always required at the physical storefront. Still, the verbiage used indicates a notice to come in the future about it not being closed.
With Hudson Valley Restaurant Week just around the corner, from November 1 to 13, we'd better all explore and keep those seats warm. The Hop did seem to have a lot of people in seats at all times, but one never knows in business. There are so many factors that go into keeping a business open. If they are indeed closed with no change, then we wish them well on their new endeavors and thank all of the creators of The Hop for bringing it to Beacon for the time it was here, defining a strong atmosphere with excellent employees, and being one of the first on Main Street to food compost.
Before I signed the lease on the space, I literally asked Deborah, the building owner and landlord, would I have privacy in the office because sometimes I needed to do my morning exercises. She responded by offering to install blurry glass in the office door, but that didn't seem necessary once I learned that I could do my morning stretching routine behind a wall in the middle of the room.
In the winter, I don't run outside as much because my bones get too cold and stiff, so it's either off to All Sport (where I can sit in their sauna!) or do a little routine at my desk! And so I thought: "Wouldn't it be fun if others got this quick morning workout, too?" So Jane Savage, founder of Savage Health and a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and USPTA-certified tennis coach, who for many years taught cardio tennis for all ages, is going to lead us in a 30-minute workout on Tuesday from 9:30 am to 10 am. Tickets are $10 and there are only seven spots left. Get it online or at the door, and bring your sneakers! Mats will be provided for any floor work.
After we put down the mats and set up the boom box, the morning began with spooky and dramatic organ playing as we moved our arms and pointed fingers to warm up our bodies. Child fitness instructor and founder of FitKidz, Dayna Case (my sister-in-law), led a small audience of mothers and children through different yoga poses and activities to songs, like "Going on a Bear Hunt," except our version was "Going on a Vampire Hunt" with all sorts of creepy adventures as we got closer to finding the vampire. Don't worry - we escaped from him.
The first dual yoga I'd ever done was Alice Sipple/Dancing Tree Yoga's class at All Sport. It was called Family Yoga and it was awesome. Alice has since moved with her family to Egypt for a spell, so when Dayna asked me if she could run a Parent/Child Yoga class in A Little Beacon Space, I jumped on it.
Why It Was So Special
In a yoga class with pairs, you get to work with and touch your partner. You can put feet to feet and grab wrists and sway back and forth. You can look at each other eye-to-eye, and give each other a spooky face. You can stop in the moments of a busy day to just be with that other person, who in this case, is your child. No telling them to put their socks on, no telling them to stop throwing water. Just moving and swaying, curling and rolling.
When's The Next One?
I don't know! Dayna lives in Columbus, Ohio, so it could happen whenever she passes through Beacon, I suppose. Or if you lead classes like this and want to give a special pop-up experience, contact me with your idea.
Your Weekend Guide to events, shopping, restaurants and beauty.
Hello!
This weekend is loaded with options! Here is your easy access to planning. These are weekend dates pulled from some of A Little Beacon Blog's 10 Things To Do In Beacon Guides, so be sure to check them during the week.
Roller Derby Fundraiser to Support School Nurse Donna Pedersen
Day: Friday, October 21, 2016 Time: 6 pm Location: Rombout Middle School Information >
2nd Annual Dark Parade
Day: Saturday, October 22, 2016 Lineup Time/Location: 6:45 pmLineup at Teller Avenue and Main Street. The parade ends at the Elks Club for a dance party. Information >
Open Mic Story Share: An Open to the Sky Event Day: Saturday, October 22, 2016 Time: 7 to 9 pm Location: Polhill Park, corner of 9D & Main Street, Beacon, NY
Red Pepper Dance Night Day: Saturday, October 22, 2016 Time: 7 to 11 pm Location: The Red Pepper, 1458 Route 9D, Wappingers Falls, NY Information >
Kids' Hocus Pocus Parade Down Main Street Date: Sunday, October 23, 2016 Time: 12:30 pm: Parade lineup at the visitors center & Polhill Park (South Avenue and Main Street) Time: 1 pm: Parade begins Location: Main Street, from Polhill Park to Teller Avenue Information >
Pumpkins in the Park Jack O'Lantern Lighting
Carving: Monday to Thursday, October 24 to 27, 2016 Carving Time: 3 to 6 pm Lighting: Friday, October 28, 2016 Lighting Time: 6 to 8 pm Location: Long Dock Park, Beacon waterfront
Weekday afternoons, visit Long Dock Park to put your carving skills to use on pumpkins provided by Scenic Hudson. Stick around Friday evening, when the jack o'lanterns will be set aglow and displayed throughout the park. Information >
Z!ne Club @ Beacon Library Day: First Meeting, Friday, October 21, 2016 Time: 3 to 5 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Upcycle Art Studio for Teens
Day: Saturday, October 22, 2016
Time: 11 am to 12 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Babysitting Course Day: Saturday, October 22, 2016 Time: 9:30 am to 1:30 pm Location: Fishkill Recreation, 792 Route 52, Fishkill, NY Information >
Drop 'N Give Me 20! Day: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 Time: 9:30am to 10:15am Location: A Little Beacon Space, 291 Main St., Beacon, NY
Get a little cardio and stretching in before your work day! This is a quick workout session. Only seven spots left! Information >
Visit our Adult Classes Guide for upcoming classes.
Visit our 5K Race Guide for upcoming races in the area.
Parent/Child Yoga: Halloween Theme: Day: Saturday, October 22, 2016 Time: 9:30am to 10:15 am Location: A Little Beacon Space, 291 Main St., Beacon, NY
Enjoy a Saturday morning of duo yoga poses with a parent and child in this Halloween inspired yoga class. How will you and your little one rattle your skeleton bones? Arch into a Spooky Cat Pose, bend into an Eerie Crescent Moon, and take flight in a Flying Bat Pose. Information >
Kitchen Cuts and Face Painting: Day: Sunday, October 23, 2016 Time: 10 am to 4 pm Location: A Little Beacon Space, 291 Main St., Beacon, NY
Our space gets transformed into a salon for kids' haircuts and face painting! During or after the Kids' Halloween Parade down Main Street, bring your kids in for a $16 cut and $1 face painting (face painting gets donated to Beacon elementary schools). Thanks to our sponsor It's All About The Mouse Travel from Teresa Marra, for sponsoring and helping to make this event possible! Information >
**Host your own pop-up shop at A Little Beacon Space! More details here.
We are in the final days of cupcakes from Get Frosted Cupcakery. Their last day in their shop is October 31. Enjoy their buttery goodness a final few times and give Karen a hug. A Little Beacon Blog has an interview with her coming soon.
Mondays can be tough, but The Vault makes them better with its extended happy hour! Head in from 4 pm to 10 pm for great deals on bottles, drafts, wine, and cocktails.
Wake up and smell the local bacon! The fresh bacon and eggs available at Barb’s Butchery come from less than an hour away in the Hudson Valley and can’t be beat for a hearty breakfast (or lunch… or dinner…).
BAJA 328’s anniversary celebration week is here! Saturday, October 22 kicks it off with Salsa Night, and of course there will be a spectacular Taco Tuesday on October 25! Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more updates.
Our Restaurant Guide has all of your options - even eateries you didn't know about! Keep it open on your phone, because we list everyone's phone number and website, making it super easy for you to tap-to-call!
New from the outdoor equipment specialists at Berghaus, this Elsdon jacket is waterproof, breathable, lined with super soft fleece shearling, AND stylish! Come in to Mountain Tops to try one on and head out, assured that you're ready for any weather this season brings.
The Pfotoshop (which is changing to The East End), is celebrating its one-year anniversary from October 21 to October 24! Come in for exciting new products, apple cider mimosas, PfotoBooth fun, and more. Click here to find out how to enter a big giveaway, and join everyone on Saturday, October 22, at 5 pm for a champagne toast and announcement of the giveaway's winners!
These frames are engineered by hand in Germany and bent and stretched by hand at Luxe Optique in Beacon to show how durable they are. Look, Ma! I can twist my glasses!
Yes, Labor Day has passed, but yes, you can still wear white! These white jeans at Style Storehouse have nice big cuffs and come ready-made with fashionable holes - no work required.
All shops in Beacon are listed in this Shopping Guide, from Home Decor to Kids Fashion to Vintage and more. Keep it open on your phone as you're walking around shopping!
From the hairs on your head to the toes on your feet, there are many ways to pamper yourself and your pet in our Beauty Guide.
We know what you're thinking: "I want my business featured here!"
Pictures shown above are from our advertising partners in the Things To Do In Beacon Guides. We can include your most exciting news here too!
A Little Beacon Blog is now syndicated on the BeaconArts website! We're honored to have share a column of latest articles. Be sure to visit BeaconArts.org for the latest events, business directory listings and Member MeetUp dates, like the next one on October 26 at Terreson: Beacon.
Antalek & Moore Antalek & Moore brings the personal back into insurance, with their office right on Main Street and friendly staff ready to help you navigate the world of insurance. Keep an eye out for our upcoming profile of Antalek & Moore partner Susan Pagones, who has been in the insurance field for over 30 years! Whether you need to insure a new car or just want to find out if you can get a lower homeowners insurance rate, give the office a call at 845-245-6292.
Tin Shingle
If you’re ready to take your small business to the next level with effective press and social media strategies, Tin Shingle is the resource you need. From expert articles to live online training sessions, SEO basics to advanced Instagram tactics, and a community of supportive fellow entrepreneurs at your fingertips, you will have everything you need to get the word out about your business. Tin Shingle now has several membership levels, making buzz-building training accessible to everyone. Join today!
InHouse Design Media
Need help coming up with ideas for your social media streams? Do you wish your website looked or did something different? InHouse Design Media can help!
All Sport Health & Fitness
On Thursday, October 27, join All Sport to raise hopes and funds for local breast cancer survivors at the Pink Ride. The class will run from 9 to 10 am, with a reception after. And the next time you need to refuel after your All Sport workout, try the seasonal Pumpkin Shake at Fuel Cafe!
A Little Beacon Space
Read all about new happenings hosted at A Little Beacon Space on our new Schedule page to see what events are coming up at A Little Beacon Space! Want to set up your Pop-Up Shop here? Or other event? See here for rental details!
Oh my gosh, y'all! I'm not even Southern, but I lived there for a bit and I know what that phrase means when spoken by someone very excited: A Little Beacon Space is open. What is A Little Beacon Space? It's the office headquarters of A Little Beacon Blog and Tin Shingle, but I couldn't just have an office and an overhead because what fun is that? It's an interactive extension of A Little Beacon Blog that can bring in the community for special events planned by us, or planned by you! This office is in the heart of Beacon's Main Street, one of the areas of Main Street that is currently defining itself, at 291 Main St. in The Telephone Building. With such a vibrant city, I wanted to be part of Main Street, one of the shop owners, feeling the pulse of the city.
Having a space like this at 291 Main Street was never on my radar as a goal. Yes, I did and do have secret Plan B-type dreams of opening an ice cream parlor, or buying a nail salon and making it awesome. Interestingly, each of my marketing plans for those Plan B dreams involved hosting special events in those spaces to help bring people in.
With a little help from many friends, team members and supporters, A Little Beacon Space is open inside of A Little Beacon Blog's Main Street headquarters. I'm so excited to share this wonderful Telephone Building with so many other people producing unique things with their unique skill sets. The excitement is contagious: Here's a picture of the folks at Home Depot, taking it upon themselves to build me a sandwich board after they heard how I wanted to construct it (meaning, my version would have flown away in the wind).
Booking A Little Beacon Space
Different people and groups can rent this space for a workshop, event, pop-up, photo shoot, and many other things I haven't mentioned here but would love to hear from you about. Many thanks to photographer Jackie Foley, who took professional pictures of different aspects of the space. She was our first customer when she booked the space for the day to conduct a portrait session.
We had the great fortune of being featured in the Highlands Current earlier when the local networking group, HV Women in Business, hosted a meetup.
Curated Pop-Up Events at A Little Beacon Space
Sometimes, we make up our own events and host them in the space. You can always find the schedule of all events here. This weekend includes two of them! Spooky Parent/Child Yoga, and Kitchen Cuts, which was included in the Calendar at the Highlands Current! P.S.: Huge congratulations to The Incline Railway for their award.
Then stop in and say "hi" during the Kids' Hocus Pocus Parade, where we'll be giving little kids $16 haircuts and $1 face painting. Proceeds from the face painting go to the Beacon elementary schools, where we are working on a donation to the teachers for all of the art supplies they buy for our kids for day-to-day projects.
And then on Tuesday, pop in to do a quick 30-minute workout with us. Don't worry - you can come dressed for the day and get right back into your work clothes from your work-out clothes. Led by professional athlete Jane Savage of Savage Health, the idea is to get your blood flowing to inspire great ideas during your day.
Then in November, join us if you want to get your finances in order: Galia Gichon, one of my favorite people in finance who works with creative types, gives an interactive seminar on Personal Finance Planning for Creatives, Entrepreneurs & Artists. If you have some plans, no plans, or want a checkup, this seminar will make getting your house in order easier and more attainable.
Thank you so much for you support thus far. Only in Beacon could this business have been crafted this way. It's an inspiring city to grow a business in. See you soon!
The questions are flying around Facebook groups and my inbox: "Is the Kids' Parade really this Sunday?" Yes... as is maybe your school Halloween party this week, unless it's on the day of Halloween, or who knows! October turned super-busy last year, and this year has proven no different. Just take a look at how the 2015 Kids' Halloween Hocus Pocus Parade turned out!
Two parades pass through this weekend: The Dark Parade, which is a glow-in-the-dark event for adults on Saturday night, and the Kids' Hocus Pocus Parade on Sunday afternoon.
We dusted off last year's Pumpkins and Parades Guide that contains information on where to find parades, pumpkin carving events, and pumpkin patches and markets. This year, we added a "Watch For It" section to highlight special offerings from stores. Don't let the warm weather fool you - Halloween is coming, and you may need two costumes for all of the display opportunities. By the time trick-or-treating comes around, that well-planned costume may have a few worn patches. Take a look at our coverage of last year's Kids Halloween Parade to get a sense for the day.
PS: The location of this photo is Lawrence Farms, which is in this guide as a beautiful location of pumpkin picking.
For the past two years (that I know of), Dance Bag has had a $10 rack out on their sidewalk for an impressive selection of poofy dresses and other stage-worthy costumes, but they say they won't this year. If making your own costume is not an option right now, really impressive and affordable costumes have been known to be at TJ Maxx and at Cracker Barrel. By now, Cracker Barrel may have their costumes on clearance. So that's a bonus!
two Halloween Events at A Little Beacon Space!
We're about to send an official announcement about it (but all of these parade dates bumped our own article), but A Little Beacon Space is open! We're hosting two pop-up events this weekend: Parent/Child Yoga on Saturday with a Halloween theme (only seevn spots left!), and Kitchen Cuts for kids' haircuts and face painting on Sunday. Hope to see you!
Cruising into its fourth year, the Beacon Auto Show rolled into town with 307 automobiles and trucks. Filing up both sides of Main Street from west to east, stopping at the diner, it was again put on by Beacon's Chamber of Commerce. This year, 2016, marks the largest year for the show, which so far, has only been growing. According to officials, cars were squeezed in anywhere they could fit, including several in the DMV Parking Lot. Live music and an awards show, with several trophies, were anchored at the gas station near the post office and the entrance to Beacon Flea. The day's weather was spectacular, unlike the previous year when we experienced a freak snow shower, sending people into cafes (like Homespun, pictured below) in search of hot chocolate.
Prevalent this year were the props outside and inside of the cars. Looks like we featured this car in the 2015 show! This time, it looks brighter and has plenty of accessories.
And the colors! Painter Jean Noack was overcome by the bright, glossy finishes surrounding her.
A produce truck, quite appropriate for these parts, and adorable!
The old Chevy Caprice, parked in front of the Beacon Natural Market. You could fit a lot of groceries in that vehicle.
Remember the third seat facing backwards in the Chevy Caprice? Complete with seat belts.
Fire breathers outside of the new location of Pizza and Stuff, Quinn's and BAJA 328.
Stingray... no other words needed.
The glass hood ornament in a row of Ford Mustangs. Looks like this Mustang was also featured in 2015, but this year has a flashier scene under the hood!
Halloween was a big theme this year for car decorations.
Beacon's Chamber of Commerce, selling t-shirts UNDER THEIR TENT.
The Beacon Flea was packed with different vendors, several of whom stayed past the usual closing hour of 3 pm because the crowd remained strong.
Our region is famed for its breathtaking mountains and endless hiking trails, attracting nature-lovers from all over the country. The rocky terrain that draws avid hikers to the Hudson Highlands, however, can also be a barrier for people with mobility issues. To remedy that, the Black Rock Forest Consortium created a Visitor Access Pathway that is accessible to wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, and anyone else who has trouble navigating other trails.
Construction for Phase 1 of Black Rock Forest Consortium’s new Visitor Access Pathway has been completed and is ready for the public. For the past few years, the Consortium has worked to secure a total of $570,000 for this project, landing two grants from New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund for two phases of construction of the Forest's first accessible trail.
Per the grant requirements, the Consortium provides a one-to-one match of cash, staff and volunteer labor, as well as in-kind materials like native stone, putting the total project cost at well over $1 million. Phase One of the project has created a pedestrian-only trail of crushed stone, similar to a carriage road, extending from the Consortium's public parking lot on Reservoir Road for 1,500 feet through the woods to a scenic area with gorgeous views north to the Shawangunks and Catskills. This approximately quarter-mile trail will be completely accessible to those with mobility impairments. Families with strollers will also enjoy this new path.
About The Trail
The new pathway, opening on October 21, is 10 feet wide and in full compliance with ADA building standards and trail guidelines. At over a quarter-mile long, the pathway meanders through mature forests and past fern-covered cliffs, and it makes some of the region’s most rewarding views accessible to everyone.
“We are looking forward to welcoming many people to Black Rock Forest for the first time, where they will discover an intact, native ecosystem that is home to a great diversity of wildlife, including more than 160 bird species,” said the Consortium’s executive director, Bill Schuster.
In addition to the birds and rare species of flora and fauna, visitors will be able to see 50 miles up the Hudson Valley, north to the Catskill and Shawangunk mountains. “The Black Rock Forest Visitor Access Pathway will provide meaningful outdoor experiences for people in places where they have not had them before,” said Douglas Hovey, the executive director of Independent Living, Inc. “There are very few outdoor resources for people with disabilities; therefore, this addition at Black Rock Forest is significant for thousands of people living with disabilities in the Hudson Valley.”
Visitors will be able to sit along the pathway on ADA-accessible benches built from Black Rock Forest wood. A second building phase to expand the trail is planned for 2017-2018.
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony - Open to the Public
The Black Rock Forest Consortium, Independent Living, the New York State Parks Commissioner, and local government representatives are hosting an opening ceremony event on Friday, October 21, at 10 am for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and ecology stroll. RSVP to (845) 534-4517 or brfoffice@blackrockforest.org.
Parking Nearby
Parking for the Visitor Access Pathway will be at the main Black Rock Forest parking lot, which is off of Reservoir Road (off of 9W). The lot is to the right just before you reach the Black Rock Forest green metal entrance gate. This is also where the trailhead for the pathway is.
Your Weekend Guide to events, shopping, restaurants and beauty.
Hello!
This weekend is loaded with options! Here is your easy access to planning. These are weekend dates pulled from some of A Little Beacon Blog's 10 Things To Do In Beacon Guides, so be sure to check them during the week.
Screening of "Curfew" with Shawn Christensen Day: Friday, October 14, 2016 Time: 7:30 pm Location: The Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Elks Lounge Dance Night Day: Friday, October 14, 2016 Time: 7 to 11 pm Location: Beacon Elks Lodge, 900 Wolcott Ave. (Rt. 9D), Beacon, NY Information >
Cold Spring Farmers' Market Tree Walk at Boscobel Day: Saturday, October 15, 2016 Time: 10 to 11 am Location: Boscobel, 1601 Route 9D, Garrison, NY
The Cold Spring Farmers' Market presents Tree Walk at Boscobel! Meet tree expert Paul Markwalter at the Market Tent at 10 am this Saturday for a Tree Walk on Boscobel grounds. Topics include tree identification, pruning, tree pest identification, and uses for wood from different trees. Tree climbing and cutting tools will be on display. Paul was a tree surgeon for over 40 years before focusing full-time on his guitar amplifier business, Beacon Tube Amps. This is the perfect opportunity to learn a bit about what's going on in your own back yard! Great for families and homeschool groups, too! Information >
Hudson Hills Used Book & Board Game Fundraiser for a Playground Day: Saturday, October 15, 2016 Time: 10 am to 4 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center
Help raise funds for our children’s playground at our Used Children’s Books and Board Game Sale. Enjoy apple cider, face painting, and a 50/50 raffle. Cash only, please. All proceeds benefit playground improvements at Hudson Hills Montessori Beacon Campus.
Walking Tour of Beacon's East End: A Taste Of History Day: Saturday, October 15, 2016 Time: 1 pm or 2 pm Location: Tour starts and ends at Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
New York State Sheep & Wool Festival Days: October 15 & 16, 2016 Location: Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NY 12572 Information >
Crafted Days: October 15 & 16, 2016 Time: 9 am to 5 pm Location: Dutchess Stadium, 1500 Route 9D, Wappingers Falls, NY Information >
The 3rd Annual Flavors of Haverstraw Food Crawl Day: Sunday, October 16, 2016 Time: 2 to 6 pm Location: Downtown Haverstraw, New York Information >
Free concert celebrating opening of American Center for Folk Music Day: Sunday, October 16, 2016 Time: 4 pm Location: Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, Beacon, NY Information >
5th Annual Classic Car Show In Beacon
Presented by Beacon's Chamber of Commerce and Dutchess Cruisers
Day: Sunday, October 16, 2016 Time: 11 am to 4 pm Location: Main Street, Beacon Information >
Beacon Sloop Club Pumpkin Festival
Day: Sunday, October 16, 2016 Time: Noon to 5 pm Location: Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, Beacon, NY Information >
Fishkill Farms Fall Festival Day: Every weekend starting Saturday, September 10, 2016 until October 29 and 30. Time: 9 am to 6 pm Location: 9 Fishkill Farm Road, Hopewell Junction, NY
Celebrate the first Fall Harvest Festival of the 2016 season with us this weekend. 'Tis the season of hayrides, live music, fresh-pressed cider and delicious cinnamon-sugar donuts! Harvest Festival Weekends run every weekend and holiday through October 29 & 30 (or until we run out of apples). Information >
Visit our 5K Race Guide for upcoming races in the area.
Glass Bead-Making Workshop With Stephanie Maddalena Day: Saturday & Sunday, October 15 & 16, 2016 Time: 10 am to 5 pm Location: Hudson Beach Glass - 162 Main St., 2nd Floor, Beacon, NY Information >
Breastfeeding Essentials Day: Friday, October 14, 2016 Time: 6 to 8 pm Location: Waddle n Swaddle - 484 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
How to Promote Your Art: Word Artist Panel II Day: Sunday, October 16, 2016 Time: 2 to 4 pm Location: Hudson Valley Center For Contemporary Art, 1701 Main St., Peekskill, NY Information >
Saturday Morning Makers: Design Your Own Button Day: October 15, 2016 Time: 11 am to 12 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
SAVE THE DATE Parent/Child Yoga: Halloween Theme Day: Saturday, October 22, 2016 Time: 9:30 to 10:15 am Location: A Little Beacon Space, 291 Main St., Beacon, NY
Enjoy a Saturday morning of duo yoga poses with a parent and child in this Halloween-inspired yoga class. How will you and your little one rattle your skeleton bones? Arch into a Spooky Cat Pose, bend into an Eerie Crescent Moon, and take flight in a Flying Bat Pose. Information >
Kitchen Cuts and Face Painting Day: Sunday, October 23, 2016 Time: 10 am to 4 pm Location: A Little Beacon Space, 291 Main St., Beacon, NY
Our space gets transformed into a salon for kids' haircuts and face painting! During or after the Kids' Halloween Parade down Main Street, bring your kids in for a $16 cut and $1 face painting. (Face painting funds raised get donated to Beacon elementary schools.) Thanks to our sponsor It's All About The Mouse Travel by Teresa Marra for sponsoring and helping to make this salon possible! Information >
**Host your own pop-up shop at A Little Beacon Space! More details here.
Deciding which cupcake to try can be daunting, especially with the new flavors that Get Frosted bakers are always creating! Next time you’re in, try this week’s most popular cupcake: tiramisu, complete with mascarpone whipped cream frosting and a sprinkle of cocoa powder.
Barb’s Butchery always has new sausages in the works, like these delicious lamb shepherd’s pie sausages with potatoes right inside them. Come in this weekend to sample these and two other lamb sausages while you peruse the meat selection and pick up some lunch!
This Sunday. Oct. 16, enjoy breakfast burritos at BAJA 328 from 9 to 11 am during the annual City of Beacon Car Show! Not a morning person? Come in for a lunch burrito special from 11 am to 2 pm, and round out your meal with a seasonal Apple Cinnamon Margarita.
Save the date: BAJA is celebrating its anniversary for a whole week from Oct. 22-29, and they are planning some fabulous specials! Check back here next week for more details.
Our Restaurant Guide has all of your options - even eateries you didn't know about! Keep it open on your phone, because we list everyone's phone number and website, making it super easy for you to tap-to-call!
Fresh from renowned German manufacturer Deuter is this old-school style hiking pack, perfect for all-day hikes, picnics, weekend getaways, and more. Add on this bestselling Osprey day pack, and you’ll be prepared to get out and enjoy whatever the season brings! Both available at Mountain Tops.
What do you give the person in your life who loves spicy food and has already tried every hot sauce you can find? How about this make-your-own hot sauce kit, along with a pithy card from The Pfotoshop?
Get these frames or any others (except sunglasses) from the Ray-Ban line for 50% off when you buy new lenses at Luxe Optique! Head in for expert help to find the perfect frames to help you see in style.
Style Storehouse welcomed this new line of stamped bracelets in plenty of time for you to check a few gifts off your holiday shopping list. The best part: You can order customized bracelets in brass, silver, gold, and rose gold with just a few weeks' notice!
All shops in Beacon are listed in this Shopping Guide, from Home Decor to Kids Fashion to Vintage and more. Keep it open on your phone as you're walking around shopping!
From the hairs on your head to the toes on your feet, there are many ways to pamper yourself and your pet in our Beauty Guide.
We know what you're thinking: "I want my business featured here!"
Pictures shown here are from our advertising partners in the Things To Do In Beacon Guides. We can include your most exciting news here too!
BeaconArts is sponsoring the Folk Legends concert this Sunday, Oct. 16, at Long Dock Park. The concert is to celebrate the opening of the new headquarters for the American Center for Folk Music (ACFM) at Scenic Hudson’s River Center, the restored red “barn” building in Long Dock Park. This free concert will feature Grammy Award-winning folk legends John McCutcheon and Tom Chapin and W.C. Handy Award-winner Joe Louis Walker. Admission is free, but donations are accepted to benefit ACFM.
Antalek & Moore
The agents at Antalek & Moore live in this community, and know the needs of you living here very well. Whether you're insuring your home, apartment, car, or business, Antalek & Moore can listen to your needs and help you. Call them when you need to at 845-245-6292.
Tin Shingle
Membership prices at Tin Shingle are changing and evolving into Membership Packages, with Private Training available. Currently, the price is $39 per month for the All Access Pass to all of Tin Shingle's educational videos, templates, and Community Boards. Consider this your Groupon or Steals and Deals price, because the All Access Pass will be back to its original price of $150 in the coming weeks.Anyone who subscribes to membership now can lock in this price, but it's only available until this weekend. So, now is your time to lock it in at this rate!
InHouse Design Media
Need help coming up with ideas for your social media streams? Do you wish your website looked or did something different? InHouse Design Media can help!
All Sport Health & Fitness
October 15 at 9 pm, All Sport members and friends will Walk A Mile In Her Shoes to raise awareness of gender violence and sexual assault. Men are encouraged to walk in high heels to show support for women in the community!
Poughkeepsie Nissan Poughkeepsie Nissan Fall Sales Event is going on now, so head on in for the best deals of the season!
Save the Date: On Thursday, October 27, Poughkeepsie Nissan is hosting Line Dance for a Cause to benefit Grace Smith House, a nonprofit organization providing support to victims of domestic violence.
A Little Beacon Space
Read all about new events hosted at A Little Beacon Space on our new Schedule page to see all of the different happenings coming to A Little Beacon Space! Want to set up your Pop-Up Shop here? Or other event? See here for rental details!
Alvin Bell moved to Beacon from Virginia when jobs were scarce in the South, and booming in Beacon. Twenty-seven years later, Beacon hemorrhaged jobs and Mr. Bell quickly experienced again what he had fled in the first place. Now with deeper roots in the Hudson Valley, Mr. Bell stayed and did not move to pursue healthy job markets in other areas. Instead, he created his own. And he's still here, 25 years later in a barber shop. Many of you have sat in his red leather swivel hair chair, but some of you may not yet have walked in for a cut, or even peeked your head in to look inside of Main Street Beauty Salon. Well you can here, and after our interview with Mr. Bell for this edition of our "Come In!" series, Mr. Bell extends his walk-in invitation to you. Even if it's to play checkers with him. But watch out, he's the "Checker Champ!"
Barbershop owner Alvin Bell moved to Beacon from Virginia decades ago "when jobs were scarce in the South," according to the Beacon Historical Society's "Heroes of Main Street" book of profiles of longtime business owners in Beacon. At the time, Beacon was flourishing as a factory town. When Mr. Bell moved here, he took a job of pressman at the Nabisco Company right away, working in the building that is now Dia: Beacon. Rising up to become Top Pressman, Mr. Bell was "responsible for everything that came off the press," he says, which meant that he spent a lot of time under the large ceilings and north-facing skylights to inspect the color and design of everything printed.
That is, until Beacon went through a change of a different kind, and the factories began to empty out, including Nabisco. After 27 years, his position was downsized. Mr. Bell was left without a job at age 54, too young to start drawing from Social Security. That's when the lightening bolt of entrepreneurship hit him, and his life changed forever. Mr. Bell, a spiritual man, credits Proverbs 3:5-6 for his guidance: "He will direct your path." (Note: This is Mr. Bell's quote of the wording.)
"Out of nowhere, God gave me a vision," he recalls. Mr. Bell's wife, Shirley Bell, was "doing hair" as he calls it, and Mr. Bell always had dreams of opening a salon. He got a license, and moved forward even through his family "looked at me like I was a little crazy." However, his wife Shirley was excited, and he opened the shop as Main Street Unisex Salon, which he changed to Barber and Unisex Shop years later just to stir things up. It is currently called Main Street Beauty Salon.
At first, mothers brought in their kids, and their client base built up. The Bells dove into community work by giving away clothes and food. A spiritual man, Mr. Bell says "The spirits showed me how to run the business." Call it intuition or a good business sense, the path that Mr. Bell followed was clear for him from days after he got laid off, continuing today, and hopefully for many tomorrows.
When asked what he credits his success to, Mr. Bell looked straight ahead and out his storefront window, past the barber chairs and magazines and to Main Street and replied: "Be loyal to your customers. And be polite."
Though not a boastful man, Mr. Bell has kept his years of press coverage and special involvements in a cardboard box in the back of the shop, or has hung pictures on the wall. Insider info for you: There is one bit of printed press on the wall that identifies Mr. Bell as "Albert Bell." Believe us when we tell you his name is Alvin. But it's framed, and he blows it off with the brush of his hand, appreciating the acknowledgment.
A singer and performer in his heart, Mr. Bell relives the days of performing numerous times with Pete Seeger and other band members. Mr. Bell held a solo performance at the Howland Cultural Center in 2009, performing 10 songs by himself, a memory he is quite proud of and can re-live for probably the whole day with you if you stayed to get a perm.
A blue banner hangs above the barber shop on Main Street next to BJ's, congratulating Mr. Bell for 25 years in business. When the banner went up, his building's landlord, Janelle Piccone Styles, wrote into A Little Beacon Blog to make sure we knew about him, as she was responsible for making and hanging the sign. When asked what she thought was the reason for his success, she replied: "I would say Mr. Bell's attitude! He is always smiling, always has a kind word. It's contagious."
As for Mr. Bell's parting words and advice for staying in business: "Show love."
Sit if you dare, in Mr. Mac's chair at this checker board, and take on the Checker Champ, Mr. Bell. Tell us when you do - we'd love to watch and learn from both sides!
Support for this publication comes in part from these businesses. We have highlighted what makes them special on their own dedicated pages. Want your business listed here? See the "Sponsor Spotlight" or "Event Promotion" option in our Advertising Page.
A podcast from A Little Beacon Blog. Your hosts: Katie Hellmuth martin & Brandon Lillard.
The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
Dutchess County Helpline. Open 24/7 to take your calls, listen, and give you resources.
