Last summer, local siblings Laura Foster and Dave Wagner inaugurated the Hudson Valley Open Market, running every Saturday from May through October (https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2024/07/29/uc-fairgrounds-parking-lot-hosts-hudson-valley-open-market-on-saturdays). Using a hybrid approach combining aspects of farmers’ markets, crafts fairs and food festivals, the pair found a successful formula that drew dozens of vendors and hundreds of browsers and buyers to the green space at the rear of the parking lot across from the Ulster County Fairgrounds on the outskirts of New Paltz. Each weekend featured a different food truck, live music and kids’ activities.
This year, beginning next Saturday, the Open Market is back — but in a more central location: the parking lot of the New Paltz Middle School, at the corner of Main Street (Route 299) and South Manheim Boulevard (Route 32 South). In keeping with the organizers’ philosophy of promoting a culture of sustainability, emphasizing locally sourced products and upcycled materials, the new site is walkable from New Paltz’s busy downtown. “We wanted to make it accessible for everybody, not just those who can drive,” Foster explains.
“The Fairgrounds were great, but a little off the beaten path,” says Wagner, noting that the new site offers “plenty of parking for vendors and patrons. The layout’s going to be much better.” The midtown location is bound to enhance visibility and foot traffic. Booths and tents will be set up on pavement, so traction for vendor trucks won’t ever be an issue, even in heavy weather. “Mud was a rough one last year,” he adds. “One weekend it was like Woodstock ’94.” The Open Market will run rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday from May 3 through October 25.
So far, the brother-and-sister entrepreneurs, who grew up in New Paltz and Wallkill, have signed up about 60 vendors for the season, participating on a rotating basis. They’re still looking for more; applicants can find a link to the Manage My Market app on the Hudson Valley Open Market website at www.hudsonvalleyopenmarket.com/vendor-expectations-guidelines. “We’re different from a lot of other markets because we have different vendors every week,” Foster explains. “You won’t find the same thing every time.”
One aspect of the event that will be different this year is heightened participation from farmers, due partly to the fact that the competing New Paltz Open Air Market won’t be running downtown this summer. “Farmers were the hardest to get,” Wagner admits. Ten farms and orchards were already signed up as of presstime, including producers of mushrooms, herbs and cut flowers in addition to fruits and vegetables. Six bakeries and three suppliers of specialty foods have also jumped into the ring, and each weekend will continue to feature at least one source of a tasty lunch. “We have a lot of good food vendors this year. There’s a wood-fired-oven pizza guy, Dominican tequeños, Afghan food, empanadas, that vegan hot dog guy…”
Local jewelers, potters, woodworkers, knitters and candlemakers are also on the vendor list, along with producers of body care products. While prices are geared to be affordable rather than exclusive, the selection of artisans showing their wares here is curated — partly to “avoid redundancy,” according to Wagner, but also to spotlight regional makers. Unlike many summer street fairs, you won’t find vendor after vendor hawking cheap clothing and knickknacks made in sweatshops in Southeast Asia. The founders have a rule that participants must be selling foods and crafts “grown or produced within a hundred-mile radius,” with ingredients or materials “sourced within 200 miles.” The exception would be the thrift-shop booths selling vintage clothing, whose original provenance can’t be established.
Since the New Paltz Central School District’s fees for use of the parking lot on weekends are more affordable than rental of the fairgrounds site, Foster and Wagner now have a more generous budget for entertainment and activities. Musicians already lined up include David Kraai, AM Gold, Krisha Patenaude, the Starlight Trio and Jim Pospisil. Once each month, the Open Market will have a special themed event: a Plant & Seedling Sale on May 17, a Disco Party with deejays on June 14, a Midsummer Swap on July 19, a yet-to-be-determined event on August 16, a Kids’ Carnival on September 20 and a Howl-A-Ween Costume Party for dogs on October 25.
Says Wagner, “It’s all about a community place to just be. Bring the kids, let them run around, have lunch, buy your eggs.” To learn more about what’s coming up at the Hudson Valley Open Market, visit www.hudsonvalleyopenmarket.com, www.hudsonvalleyopenmarket.com and www.instagram.com/hudsonvalleyopenmarket. The New Paltz Middle School is located at 196 Main Street in New Paltz.
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