Riders Mills, a tiny hamlet in north-central Columbia County, is a rarity even here in the country: it is bisected by neither a state nor a county road, making it the most remote and perhaps least spoiled of a trio of small villages (in addition, Rayville and Malden Bridge) that were settled by Quakers in the 1790s. Today, the paper mills they built there are gone, and, apart from a heartening lack of development, the only extant evidence of that era is a red brick one-room schoolhouse that served the children of Riders Mills from 1790 to 1953.
Off-and-on since the 1960s, the Rider's Mills Historical Association has held an outdoor art show there. The event is free and includes music and refreshments. Considering that it is a non-juried show, there is some interesting work here—good artists who are doing their bit for the community. But regardless of whether or not you find something there you want to live with, you should be prepared to be charmed. Riders Mills Outdoor Art Show Drowne Road & Riders Mills Road Near Malden Bridge, just north of Old Chatham, NY Saturday, September 5, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
