One of the reliable signs that the warm weather has returned to the mid-Hudson is the reemergence of the popular Sunday Flea Market in downtown High Falls. Since High Falls hasn’t actually got much of a downtown – you can pretty much walk every inch of the hamlet in about a half-hour – it’s hard to miss this bustling weekend gathering of vendors, held in Grady Park right off Route 213. Opening this Sunday, May 6 and running through the last weekend in October, the always-changing, eclectic flea market offers antiques and collectibles, local crafts, food and “junque” for the discriminating collector and inveterate browsers.
The historical core of High Falls consists, of course, of the remains of the Delaware and Hudson Canal locks that once made this sleepy town part of a bustling transportation corridor, shipping coal from Pennsylvania mines and Rosendale cement to the port of New York via the Rondout. For those who delight in heritage tourism, a most satisfying day of sightseeing can be had by visiting the D & H Canal Historical Society and Museum, exploring the circa-1825 Five Locks Walk and viewing the surviving supports of a long-gone bridge just upstream from the falls that was designed by John Roebling, architect of the Brooklyn Bridge. The Museum, located at 23 Mohonk Road, opens for the season this Saturday, May 5, with festivities and tours both indoors and out. The Five Locks Walk, which is designated a National Historic Landmark, begins on Second Street, just across from the Museum.
To celebrate the reopening of the Flea Market, an antiques appraisal event will be held this Sunday from noon until 2 p.m. Residents, visitors and weekenders are invited to bring any family heirlooms, old musical instruments, yard-sale finds, antiques, artwork or collectibles (no jewelry or coins, please) for an appraisal from knowledgeable local antique experts. For a fee of $5 for the first and $3 for each additional item, appraisals will be offered by Sanford Levy of Jenkinstown Antiques, Walter Marquez of the Antiques Barn at Water Street Market and luthiers Jeff McCoy and Bill Merchant. All proceeds will benefit the D & H Canal Historical Society & Museum and the Town of Lloyd Historical Society. In case of inclement weather, the appraisals will be held at the D & H Canal Museum chapel, also at 23 Mohonk Road. The Sunday Flea Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dealer space is still available; to reserve, call Joni at (845) 810-0471. For more information on D & H Canal Museum Opening Day and the D&H Canal Sunday Flea Market, visit https://www.canalmuseum.orgor call (845) 687-8981.
Join the family! 
