By Jamie Larson Mixing expertly crafted style with meaningful community engagement, the third annual Hudson River Exchange Summer Market, to be held at the Hudson Riverfront Park on June 27 and 28, will once again showcase artisan makers and collectors in a “curated marketplace." The Hudson River Exchange (HRE) is a uniquely rewarding event because it not only gives visitors access to some of the most beautiful and thoughtfully made products being produced here and around the country, it also provides a hub for craftspeople to showcase their work and grow their unique small-scale businesses. Whether it’s handmade clothing, jewelry, artwork, beauty and apothecary items, antique objects, woodwork or other crafts, the Exchange is as much about creating a valuable experience for the sellers as for the shoppers.
“The HRE has helped me build a local customer base, which has greatly contributed to the growth of my handmade business," says Silke Jacobs. “HRE is an innovative, positive force in our community that has changed the game for creative business owners in and around Hudson." Sellers can become members of the exchange and workshops, and networking is available to artisans, who often work in seclusion. A full list of vendors is available on the HRE website, but the best way to discover something you didn’t know you needed but can't live without is to simply walk the tents, which are often beautiful displays in their own right. “The quality keeps going up each year," says Exchange co-founder Kate Moore. “Now our mission is evolving. We'll be launching workshops and services for these amazing small businesses."
The level of taste, quality and craftsmanship at the Exchange is second to none. Assembling the event is a lot of work for the small organizational staff. Their first event was supposed to be a one-off, Moore says, but an extremely positive response from visitors and vendors inspired them to continue. Now the Summer Market is the flagship event for a growing operation that includes pop-up events, collaborations with CSA fairs and the successful Basilica Farm and Flea event each Thanksgiving weekend.
“One of the reasons we wanted to continue is we saw that artistic people needed a market to sell this beautiful work," Moore says, adding that they're showcasing work indicative of an artistic, artisanal lifestyle, not just creations from the Hudson Valley. “We continue to have a strong relationship with local vendors coming from out of town and out of state." Free to the public, the event will also include food and drink from chefs including Brooklyn Oyster Party, Catskill Mill Food Truck, Raven and Boar, and a Saturday night bar courtesy of Fish and Game. Hudson River Exchange Summer MarketSaturday, June 27, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday, June 28, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, Hudson, NY
