thistle hill glass: Cohoes Farm to City Festival

The Farm to City Festival in Cohoes yesterday was a great event. Well attended, good sales, live music (and tap dancing!) and critters! Of course I didn't get to see the animals as I was chained to the booth, but I hear there were goats, alpaca, baby chicks -- I did see the Clydesdales pulling the trolley cart around the block all day. Cohoes is a little post-industrial city (they call it Spindle City, after the once booming textile factories powered by the Cohoes Falls) doing an impressive job of revitalizing their downtown. There are still many empty storefronts, but the main drag in town, Remsen Street, is looking well renovated. There's a great sense of a community of people devoted to the resurgence of the town, and the Farmers Market seems a central part of that effort. This is a pic of the Cohoes Falls at a VERY high water mark. This is the point at which the Mohawk River joins the Hudson, and the picture doesn't it do it justice -- it's spectacular. There' s a hydro power plant on the falls now, but back in the day it powered a booming textile industry. (The mills have been recently converted to condos, overlooking the falls.)

I'm getting alot of repeat customers at the Market, and the gals at BeauKnits are sending a steady stream of fiber aficionadas my way, for which I am most grateful! My best customer has been Danielle and her folks, who have visited my booth every week to add new beads to Danielle's choker necklace. I have a great fan base among the kids, who really appreciate the color and tactile nature of glass.

Now if I could just break in to the other local Farmers Markets, I'd be all set! People seem to like the opportunity to see handmade art as they stroll the produce booths -- it adds to the festive atmosphere, and there's a real affinity between people who appreciate locally grown food and locally created art. I shall continue my campaign to find new farmers markets!