Briarcliff Cover Stories

Sharing the Stories which Shaped Briarcliff Manor

October 26, 2019 by David Propper

The Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society Preserves Village Lore for all to Learn and Enjoy

At the Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society (L-R): Kathleen Zawacki, Arnold Feist, Carine Feist, George Behling, Karen Smith and Charles Trainor Photo by Donna Mueller

The stories about Briarcliff Manor seem unlimited. The documentation about the village that was incorporated in 1902 appears endless. And all those tales and eye-catching information can be found within the Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society.

“I love stories and that’s what this place is all about,” historical society executive director Karen Smith said. “It’s not so much the dates–it’s the stories.”

The BMSHS’s mission emphasizes local history, including promoting original research connected to Briarcliff Manor, gathering and preserving artifacts, books, manuscripts, papers, photos and materials related to the village and the greater region and marking local places of historic importance. It’s a wealth of knowledge for people that want to learn more about the community they live in.

The historical society started in 1974 on the heels of the United States bicentennial when longtime resident William Sharman decided he wanted to spearhead one. Sharman, who is now deceased, grew up in Briarcliff and had all kinds of stories about the village and how it evolved through the years, Smith said.

There were about 30 founding members of the society, including Smith, who was neighbors with Sharman. Now, the society has about 230 members with most living in Briarcliff. Others are scattered around the country, but with some connection to the village.

What’s in a Name

The name Briarcliff Manor comes from an Episcopal reverend whose summer estate was called Brier Cliff after his family home in Ireland, Smith said, citing the book A Changing Landscape by Mary Cheever. James Stillman, president of First National City Bank, named his property Briar Cliff Farm before Walter Law, the founder of the village, purchased 235 acres. Law’s friend, business magnate Andrew Carnegie, gave Law the title “Laird of the Manor,” which resulted in Briarcliff Manor, Smith said.

1906 Early business in Briarcliff corner North State Road

Smith, who previously worked in finance, got more heavily involved when she retired and wasn’t commuting to New York City daily. She became Board of Trustees secretary, then co-president and is currently the executive director, a title she earned this year.

Smith shared that before the historical society became situated in the basement of the newly renovated library, the organization never had a real home base. Storage of historical papers and artifacts were placed in the wet basements and hot attics of BMSHS members’ houses.

Occasionally, there were one or two places in the village where the historical society could make a display for a couple years, but it was only temporary, Smith said. Renting modest space in the library has been crucial for the historical society, she added. In fact, the BMSHS can be found on the bottom floor of the library.

Recognizing Heroes

Some of the work of the BMSHS has helped give recognition to people and places in the village that might have been forgotten or never discovered.

For instance, Smith inquired why a Korean War veteran, John Kelvin Koelsch, didn’t have his name donned on a street sign in the village like many fallen war heroes. After she was left with an unsatisfactory answer, Smith and the BMSHS worked to bring his story to light.

Koelsch, who attended Scarborough School (now Clear View School) in the 1930s, was the first helicopter pilot to earn the Medal of Honor. He was posthumously honored after he died of illness in a prisoner of war camp in 1951.

Eventually a bronze plaque honoring Koelsch and detailing his inspiring heroism was placed in the Walter Memorial Park in 2016 by the village and the BMSHS.

“To have such an exemplary person to have lived here shouldn’t be one that is missed,” Smith said. “And he is not.”

Efforts Toward a Permanent Charter

Pointing toward the future, the BMSHS wants to earn a charter from New York State, which it is currently lacking. There are certain requirements that need to be fulfilled, and while Briarcliff’s historical society is as active as its peer organizations in the region, they are still working toward attaining a permanent charter.

“We’ve been in business for 45 years with a provisional charter,” Smith said, adding in order to get that charter the state “really wants you to know where your stuff came from,” which is tough to do. Smith said the historical society is going to get itself organized, go to the state capitol and make its case to the appropriate officials with hopes of getting that elusive charter.

Board president George Behling said the BMSHS acts as a treasure trove for residents whether it is someone looking at an old photo of their house and looking up a friend that they knew in the village. The goal is to always find items and documents that would intrigue people, he said.

“It’s just a continuous thing as we try to educate the people as much as we can about the history of the village,” Behling, who grew up in Briarcliff, said.

By attaining a charter, the BMSHS would reap more benefits, like the ability to apply for grants, and would hopefully help the historical society grow, Behling said.

Board trustee Charlie Trainor, who has lived in the village for 37 years, said he never knew so many cool facts and stories about Briarcliff until he got involved with the BMSHS a few years ago.Trainor said without Smith and the historical society, “you wouldn’t understand how much went on here.”

As an indispensable resource, the BMSHS continues to collect facts, figures, photos and most importantly, stories, that continue to shape the past and future of Briarcliff.

Creating the Bethany Arts Community

October 26, 2019 by Ronni Diamondstein

It’s all about “Community” for David Lyons, Executive Director and Founder of the Bethany Arts Community (BAC) in Ossining and he’s quick to correct anyone who calls “Bethany” an arts center.

“In 2015 I was introduced to the property with a vision of creating an art community. And when I say community, that umbrella is very large. We have 44,000 square feet on 25 acres to work with from performance art, gallery exhibitions to children’s camp and many things in between,” says Lyons who grew up in Westchester and lives in Sleepy Hollow. Maryknoll Foreign Mission Sisters of St. Dominic, who originally owned the property referred to it as the Bethany Rest House. For Lyons, “Bethany,” as he affectionately refers to BAC, is a canvas.

Inspired by Salem Artworks in Salem, New York, Lyons wanted to create a community of artists that not only interacts with each other but with the community as a whole, locally and globally. BAC is a place where all levels of artists can gather to help each other and each other’s art flourish, and to enrich the creative process.

BAC has been up and running since January 2018. Lyons says what makes BAC special is that they were able to take all the individual arts and bring them under one roof: theatre, gallery space, theatre space workshop and children’s theatre. They host Theater O quite often. “We love working with them,” says Lyons. “We’ve expanded everything we’ve done two fold since last year. We ran after school workshops and work closely with Ossining School District.”

BAC has offered workshops in drawing, painting, mosaics, jewelry making and art history classes and hosted such talent as the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, a prominent modern dance presence on New York City and global stages. Their summer camp programs were expanded by two additional weeks this year and BAC was able to offer 11 inner city children full summer camp scholarships.

In September, BAC launched their first signature residency program, a juried selection including 24 lead artists in residency. There were 56 artists and collaborators onsite at BAC over six weeks. The residency program is designed to attract artists at different stages of their careers from around the world. “And there is always a community giveback—a performance, a reading, a demonstration,” says Lyons. “It is an important part and we weigh it heavily.” During their time on site, these artists will develop new works while engaging with local artists and the whole community. BAC attracted artists in residence from around the world–as far as Thailand–as well as hyper local. They received an Arts Westchester Grant to support the residency program

This fall they will host the Hudson River Potters Fall Showcase from November 8-10, have an exhibit in the gallery. They also plan to hold a Winter Solstice Concert.

One idea on Lyon’s plate: A “Seed to Belly” culinary education. “Everyone eats! I want the community to share a meal.” The property has a half-mile trail, replanted orchard, and hives.

A short-term goal is to solidify and shore up the foundations. BAC won a NYSCA grant for infrastructure and they are in the middle of that now. Lyons wants to take what they have and expand it. “Community to me is the world, we started in the local community, the Village of Ossining. We hope to expand to Briarcliff, to Chappaqua, Mount Kisco in a much broader sense, so our community will grow.”

While not an artist himself, Lyons passion for the arts is evident. “A lifetime of things got me started. My grandfather was a patron of the arts. Artists have always been very important to me for different reasons. Ultimately, the core of this and everything I do is for children.”

Lyons is optimistic about the future. “The scope in which we are able to offer in one place makes us unique. We had listening sessions. I said, ‘this is my vision, what do you need? There is plenty of art, plenty of artists and not enough space’.”

He wants to enhance the mission statement and their aim is to inspire sharing, connection and collaboration in a culture designed for the benefit of the local community and beyond. “We’re here, we’ve been growing organically, gaining notice in the world. My feeling is what can’t we do?”

Bethany Arts Community is holding its second annual fundraiser “ART IS COMMUNITY” on November 15 at 7 p.m. Supporters will enjoy an evening of cocktails, food, performance, exhibit, silent auction and more.

For tickets go to bethanyarts.org/calendar/artiscommunity/.

Bethany Arts Community is located at 40 Somerstown Road, Ossining, NY.

For more information go to bethanyarts.org

Photos courtesy of the Bethany Arts Community

How We Talk About Incarceration

October 26, 2019 by Jennifer Sabin Poux

The Sing Sing Prison Museum Hopes to Impact the Conversation-and Ossining

Here’s what we don’t talk about when we talk about incarceration: the women left behind when a husband, father or son is imprisoned. The Wait Room, a dance and acrobatic production held outside Sing Sing Prison in September, directed the audience’s focus to those women who suffer the emotional, physical and economic burdens of the prison system, as well as the burden of shame. The production was poignant and effective: it was impossible to watch the dancers move and fly (with the help of harnesses) around the tilt-a-whirl stage without thinking more empathetically about the women whose loved ones reside up the hill at Sing Sing.

The Wait Room, a Flyaway Production out of San Francisco, was brought to Louis Engel Park on the Hudson River in Ossining by the future Sing Sing Prison Museum and the Bethany Arts Community. The production meshes seamlessly with the museum’s broader mission. Opening in part in 2020, and in full in 2025, the museum will be devoted to telling the story of the institution and its evolution. It will highlight not only the stories of its brutal past and most infamous prisoners like Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, but of the ordinary prisoner and his family, and the rehabilitation work occurring there in the 21st century. And the museum’s installations will be designed to encourage visitors to thoughtfully examine the greater social justice issues of the prison system.

“That’s one of our major goals for the museum is to challenge people to reimagine the criminal justice system and to take action to create a more just society,” says Brent Glass, Interim Executive Director of the museum.

Glass, who is also Director Emeritus of Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, says all stakeholders will be included in the creation of the museum. “We want to tell the story of how incarceration has affected everyone at Sing Sing. We want to talk to the men who are incarcerated. What stories do they think are important to tell? We want to talk to people who have been victims of crimes. We don’t want to leave their stories out.” He also says the museum will include the engaging stories of the people who’ve worked there over the years.

The Wait Room is one example of how the Sing Sing Prison Museum is deftly utilizing art and storytelling to educate audiences. The dancers performed to music and voice recordings of women whose loved ones are or have been incarcerated. The Wait Room’s choreographer, Jo Kreiter, is herself married to a man who was imprisoned for six years. Hearing the voices of marginalized women talk about the exorbitant expense of driving hours to visit someone in prison, the interminable wait in line to see them, being turned away because of an underwire bra or the wrong pants, all of it resonates because it becomes so personal as the backdrop to mesmerizing dance performances. The dancers sometimes fly, but they are also tethered to the oversized chairs on the clock-faced stage.

In addition to personal stories like those in The Wait Room, Glass says the museum is meant to give visitors history and context about the American justice system as a whole, and how it’s changed over time. What was a crime 100 years ago might not necessarily be a crime today. As a society, our concept of punishment has evolved over time.

Why build a museum at Sing Sing now? Glass says, “Every chapter in criminal justice history has a few pages written at Sing Sing.” Unlike a popular museum like Alcatraz, Sing Sing is still operating. And he adds that its proximity to the cultural mecca of New York City and historic sites in the Hudson Valley makes it a perfect location. It will also bring tourism and millions of tourist dollars to Ossining. The museum creators estimate that 260 jobs in the museum and the wider community will be created, as well as 100 construction jobs.

The Sing Sing Prison Museum will open a preview center in 2020 at the Powerhouse on the prison campus. The Powerhouse provided electricity to the prison from the 1930’s to the 1960’s and will be repurposed with the construction of exhibition spaces, classrooms and a theater, as well as space for re-entry programs to help released prisoners acclimate to society. Even young people on the outside will benefit: the museum has developed a curriculum on criminal justice for Ossining and Peekskill high school students.

When the full museum opens in 2025, Glass says visitors will be able to enter the historic cellblock. “We would break into the prison in effect through a secure corridor that would connect the Powerhouse to the historic cellblock which is about 100 yards south of the Powerhouse. The historic cellblock, built in 1825, would be the centerpiece of the visitor experience because it is an extraordinary ruin that nobody gets to see at this point.”

It’s what we don’t see that we can pretend isn’t happening, and that’s what art like The Wait Room examines. There has been a growing national conversation about the racial inequities of the prison system, and “Race” is the title of one of the production’s dances. But there are other issues inherent in the system that place an incredible burden on the women who visit their loved ones in prison. The cost of driving eight hours roundtrip, or more likely taking an expensive bus to a prison visit. The wild markup on items inside the prison commissary. The shame when friends ask, why are you still married to that criminal? The difficulty of raising a child with an imprisoned father, of suddenly being a one parent, one income household. The often condescending and dismissive treatment of the women by the prison guards as if they too have committed a crime.

Sing Sing has a notorious past – including 614 executions in the 20th century – but it is working to bring a sense of humanity to its prisoners through a variety of arts and educational programs. Rehabilitation Through the Arts provides year-round theater workshops and performance to the prisoners of Sing Sing. They also run workshops in dance, visual arts, music and creative writing. Hudson Link for Higher Education provides college educational opportunities to prisoners through private funding. The correctional facility has a garden and a professional master gardener, Douglass DeCandia, who works with the prisoners. There are also programs for the families: for example, they were invited to see The Wait Room free of charge.

The Wait Room ends with an ode to the women’s love for their husbands, partners, sons and fathers, no matter the egregiousness of their crime or the injustice of their innocence. A lone dancer flies high like a trapeze artist above the stage and above the audience, free, for the moment, of the binds of prison. The dance is called, “This is a Love Story.” It’s difficult to imagine a story about imprisonment as a love story, but the story of prison is, after all, about people. The Sing Sing Museum will examine the history of violence and crime, of justice and injustice, cruelty and redemption. It will also tell the story of men, women and children trying to survive in a system that flouts love but will never fully extinguish it.

Five Facts about Sing Sing

The 1,200 cells in the historic Cellblock built in 1825 were seven-feet long, six-and-a-half feet high, and three-feet, seven inches wide.
In the 19th century, some prisoners were subjected to punishments like the “shower bath,” similar to waterboarding.
David Berkowitz, aka “the Son of Sam,” was incarcerated at Sing Sing.
Some Hollywood movies filmed scenes at Sing Sing including “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed at Sing Sing

The Joy of a “Friendsgiving” Holiday & Delicious Recipes

October 26, 2019 by Carine Feist

Our Friendsgiving Menu Chefs: (L-R): Ragini Arnin, Peiling Liu, Cecilia Chong-Wheeler, Carine Feist and Kathy Pang Lee

We are looking forward to festive times with our friends and family while giving thanks for our blessings. If you’re like me, you are thinking about shaking up the menu a bit with some international flavors. These delicious recipes are from a wonderful group of my friends whose daughters and nieces were swimming together on a synchronized swimming team. Their friendships grew as their swimming skills did. After several swam through college years, they have graduated and moved on but still enjoy getting together whenever they can.

In case you’re wondering, “Where’s the turkey?” – we’ve got a plan for that! Since most families know how to roast a turkey (call the Butterball hotline) and make cranberry sauce (or purchase Ocean Spray), we wanted to provide some wonderful meal accompaniments. The first recipe is Cecilia’s Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage is an incredibly delicious stuffing for your Thanksgiving turkey (or you can make it ahead to heat and serve as a side!).

My friends’ favorite recipes also include Ragini’s Indian Curry Puffs appetizer, and a scrumptious brunch recipe to serve your household guests — Peiling and Kathy’s Taiwanese Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes and also Shredded Potato Stir Fry, an Asian spin on home fries (and better than “diner-style” eggs and potatoes) and a steaming bowl of 1-2-3 Chicken.

The Recipes:

Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage

4 flat scoops of short-grain sticky (sweet) rice if using a rice cooker, or 3 cups if cooking in a pot on the stove. Brown or white rice depending on your preference.
5 oz. tray of fresh shitake mushrooms (Destemmed, wiped clean and sliced)
6-8 Chinese sausages
1 Tb. minced, peeled fresh ginger
½ cup thinly sliced scallion (white & pale green parts only)
¼ cup Chinese rice wine
2 Tb. soy sauce
1½ Tb. oyster sauce (omit oyster sauce and sausage for vegetarian version)
1½ tsp. sesame oil

Cook sticky rice in rice cooker (or in a pot according to package directions) the night before. Separate rice grains after cooking. Wash and chop mushrooms into coarse pieces. Quarter the sausages lengthwise and cut into ¼ inch pieces.

Heat a wok over medium heat, add the sausages, stir for one minute, add fresh ginger, sliced scallions, and mushrooms, stir-fry for another minute. Add cooked rice. Mix well. Add the mixture of rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil. Coat the rice and stir-fry to taste (may add more sauces as needed).

Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes

(A national dish of China; simple to make.)

2 Tb. oil (canola or other vegetable oil)
3 ripe tomatoes, preferably peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks. (To peel the tomatoes, cut an “x” in the bottom and dip into boiling water for one minute)
6 eggs, with 2 Tb. water, whipped with a whisk
½ tsp salt
3 cloves garlic (optional)
1 Tb. ketchup (optional)
chopped scallion, cilantro or Thai basil to garnish (optional)

Heat 2 Tb. oil and, when hot, add in the eggs. Cook over medium heat stirring with a spatula until there is no more liquid, but do not overcook.

Remove the eggs from the pan and the add 1 tsp. of oil to the same pan and cook the tomato and garlic on medium heat until a little soft. Add the cooked egg, breaking up the egg with the spatula. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper to taste and add spring onion and other garnishes as you’d like.

Note: Some families with children add a Tb. ketchup into the tomato mixture or add a pinch of sugar.

Shredded Potato Stir Fry

This is a super-fast way to cook and enjoy potatoes with a new texture that will surely surprise you! And it’s vegan and gluten-free.

1 lb. russet potatoes (approx. 2 potatoes)
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1 large red bell pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 dried red chiles (such as chile de arbol, stems discarded, or red bell pepper)
4 tsp. rice vinegar)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. salt

Fill a medium-sized bowl with cold water. Peel the potatoes and carrot and give them a quick rinse under running water. Shred them with a mandolin or julienne along the length. The shreds should be long, thin matchsticks. Submerge the potatoes immediately in water to rinse off the excess surface starch. Usually 30 minutes is a good amount of time to soak them or overnight in the refrigerator if you want to prepare ingredients ahead of time.

Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise and discard the stem, seeds, and ribs. Cut the pepper halves lengthwise into thin matchstick-like shreds. Ideally, they should be the same thickness as the potato shreds.

Lay out a clean cotton kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels on the counter, for drying the potatoes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and give them a quick rinse under cold running water. Give the colander a few shakes to get rid of excess water. Spread the shredded potatoes out on the towel and pat them completely dry.

Heat 2 Tb. oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil appears to shimmer, drop in 2 of the chiles and stir them until they blacken and smell smoky, 5 to 10 seconds. Add half of the potatoes and half of the bell peppers to the smoky oil. Stir-fry them vigorously, without stopping, to briefly cook the shreds approx. 2 to 3 minutes, but still make sure they maintain their toothsome texture (do not overcook). Scrape everything into a serving bowl. Wipe out the pan with paper towels and repeat with the remaining oil, chiles, potatoes, carrots and bell peppers.

Add them to the batch in the bowl, stir in the vinegar, sesame oil, and salt, and serve warm or room temperature. Remove the chilies before serving.

1-2-3 Chicken

(It’s as easy as 1-2-3!)

2½ Tb. sesame oil
6 large cloves garlic, kept whole but smashed
1 large ginger root, sliced thinly
1½ lbs. boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and diced into 2-inch pieces
⅓ cup dark soy sauce (or regular if unable to get dark soy)
½ cup sake
¾ cup water
2 cups loosely packed Thai basil leaves

Place 2½ Tb. sesame oil in a large skillet and heat (medium high) until glistening. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the edges of the ginger slices are slightly browned and golden; about 7 minutes. Keep tossing the garlic and ginger so they don’t burn. When done, remove to a small bowl.

Add the chicken thigh chunks to the skillet then add the soy sauce, cooking wine, water, and basil leaves. Gently toss to coat the chicken and then turn the heat to medium low and cover the skillet and cook for 10 minutes. Then turn the chicken so the other sides of the chicken pieces cook in the sauce. Keep turning the chicken every 10 minutes until the meat is dark brown (about 35-40 minutes). Serve over rice with stir-fried greens, such as bok choi, spinach or pea shoots.

Indian Curry Puffs

(12 appetizer-sized puffs)

One package of puff pastry (frozen, store-bought is fine)
2-3 large red potatoes (boil until tender, remove peels and mash)
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. cumin seeds
1½ tsp. fennel seeds (crushed or use fennel powder)
1 carrot shredded
1 onion, minced finely
Bhaji Pav Masala (spice blend from an ethnic grocery or supermarket such as Whole Foods)
1 tsp. to 1 Tb. chile (your favorite jalapeno or if you like spicy, Thai chile peppers)
Cilantro ¼ cup minced finely (with stems)
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp. salt (to taste)
1 tsp. sugar (to taste)

Warm the olive oil over medium heat and then add the seeds and toast for a few moments until fragrant. Add the shredded carrot and the onion and sauté for several minutes, then add the mashed potato and the spice blend. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Refrigerate while you continue the next recipe step.

Meanwhile, unfold the puff pastry while frozen and shake off the excess flour. The pastry will break into three sheets; cut each piece in four. (a pizza cutter is perfect for this. Each full sheet makes 12 pieces. Put a scoop of filling into each rectangle. Fill generously, but not so much that the filling comes out of the sides when covered. Seal the edges well with your hands. Refrigerate at least several hours or overnight.

Bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes until golden. You can freeze the uncooked puffs and bake later; just give them 10-15 more minutes of baking time. Serve hot from the oven.

Planting a Farmer’s Market… One Neighborhood at a Time

May 31, 2019 by Miriam Longobardi

Amidst a brisk March wind, vendors at the Down-to-Earth Farmer’s Market in Ossining greet regulars by name, showcase new products and make tailored recommendations. One of the few Farmer’s Markets open outdoors year-round, rain or shine, the rapport between customers and vendors is apparent.

Miriam Haas, the market’s founder, walks around, shopping and chatting with people. In the late 1980s,, Haas and a group of women ran a food co-op but wished there was fresh produce more locally available.

After researching local farms and working with the Ossining Chamber of Commerce, the first Farmer’s Market was finally launched. In 1991, on a small patch of lawn in the downtown area in Ossining; two farmers set out their wares and the Down-to-Earth Farmer’s Market opened for business!

The second year there were three vendors, and by year five, Hass received an award from the Chamber of Commerce for bringing people and economic development to the downtown area.

Once their own local market was thriving, Hass began to bring farmer’s markets to other nearby towns such as Pleasantville, Hastings, Piermont, Tarrytown and Bronxville, to name a few. Soon ever more towns began reaching out to Haas to help them start their own markets.

“Community markets revitalize downtown areas. People meet and discuss recipes. It’s a very friendly environment,” Haas says. This is evident as she smiles, nods hellos and waves to people while we chat.

Soon communities from outside Westchester County reached out to her and she helped found three markets in Manhattan: Hudson Yards, Chelsea and Morningside Park as well as two each in Brooklyn and Queens. In total she has founded around 14 farmer’s markets. “I guess I’m like the Johnny Appleseed of farmer’s markets,” she jokes.

Dakotah Russo, Director of Marketing for the Down-to-Earth Farmer’s Market, notes that more recently the growth of farmer’s markets trend nationwide has slowed. “There was a time when everyone wanted one in their town,” she notes. “Many towns now have one and the need is not as great.” Still, the markets that are already out there do very well. “Our vendors respond to what people around here want. Different towns want different products. It’s not a bazaar. It is tailored to what people are buying”, Russo reports.

Beauty of Outdoors

Being outdoors year-round is a big draw as people maintain their shopping routines without driving to a different location. They tried holding the market indoors at one point, but vendors preferred to be outside despite variable weather. It is easy for people to pull up and shop.

During the winter months they still have vegetables, pasteurized meats and fish among other other staples, such as pickle and bread stands. There is often live music in the winter as well. During the summer months, harvests are bigger and the vendor mix expands with upwards of twenty vendors.

The market’s summer season officially kicks off May 11th. The hours are 8:30-1:00. There are café tables, live music or a DJ, and the atmosphere is festive. After 28 years, the Down-to-Earth Market continues to grow and thrive. For information and recipes, please visit their website: downtoearthmarkets.com