Close friends and Croton-on-Hudson residents Rachel Cleary, Sarah Bilicki, and Rachel Hearst started with a vision: a curated market that showcased the best of the region’s farmers, producers, and makers. On Saturday, June 9, they’ll be bringing it to life at Croton MRKT, a pop-up event at the town’s Vassallo Park. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., guests can shop for produce, baked treats, handcrafted treasures, home and garden décor, wellness potions, and even pet supplies from 25 local vendors.
“We feel confident that there will be something for everyone,” says Bilicki. “We really wanted to make this a well-rounded event.” The approach was to choose a limited selection of vendors in each category to provide shoppers with a curated selection and to benefit vendors with maximum onsite exposure. “We reached out to many vendors that we handpicked, and were met with so much enthusiasm for the market,” she says. “We’ve had a fantastic vendor response and are truly excited for what each of them has to offer.”
Many vendors are Westchester- or Hudson Valley-based. Expect to find aritisnal breads from Journeyman Bakery, small-batch ice cream from Croton’s The Blue Pig, produce from Liberty Farms in Ghent, fresh dairy from The Hudson Milk Co., plus handmade vegan chocolates, bottled cold-brew coffee, kosher pickles, and handmade textiles.
As moms of young kids, the team also sought to make the market inviting for all ages. Kid-friendly events include an open-play area, yarn-crafting workshop, and rock-painting station. You’ll also want to see bilingual musical storyteller Flor Bromley do a set at 11 a.m., followed by old-timey bluegrass group Big Draw.
Croton MRKT hopes to draw on this experience and launch similar events in the future. “We are very encouraged by the response thus far,” says Bilicki. “We feel lucky to have gained the village’s support, and to live in an area so rich with people doing amazing work that they are eager to share.”
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