Berkshire Holiday Retail, Craft Market Set Saturday
DALTON, Mass. — A new holiday market is coming to town this weekend for Small Business Saturday.
On Saturday, the first annual Berkshire Holiday Retail and Craft Market will take place at the Stationery Factory on 63 Flansburg Ave.
"The driver is to get out there, get off Amazon, get off of Walmart.com and big-box stores and go support the local community," organizer Randy Cormier said.
"These are your neighbors, these are your neighbors' businesses that are going to be here."
The market will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free. There will be more than 30 vendors, including artisans and local retailers, food, drinks, and live holiday music by pianist Benny "Fingers" Kohn.
Cormier felt it was important to include small businesses that buy products wholesale and sell them. He is a retailer himself and will be selling 1960s and 1970s-inspired goods such as T-shirts, hoodies, Baja jackets, gloves, tapestries, and candles.
He said the event has garnered more than 1,000 responses on Facebook. There has also been a lot of interest from vendors with a waitlist of almost 70.
Cormier quickly put this together after a successfully vending at the Big E in Springfield earlier in the fall. He had product left over and decided to create a market for retail and craftspeople on the day that is dedicated to shopping locally.
He was glad to find plenty of people who answered the call.
"I had no idea there were this many crafters around here," he said.
Some of the products attendees can expect to find include candles, CBD products, body-care products, birdhouses, and Christmas wreaths. Berkshirecat Records, located on the upper level of the factory, will also be vending.
Shire Breu-Hous, located on the lower level, will be open early and will have a presence upstairs selling food.
Cormier said he already has the whole second floor of the Stationery Factory booked for two days next year, which will allow for 100 vendors.
He said Coggins Ford of Bennington, Vt., provided a sponsorship to help with advertising for the event.
Tags: artisans & crafters,
