Pound Ridge Antique/Farmer's Market Hits Milestone

POUND RIDGE, N.Y. – The Antiques and Farmer's Holiday Market has become a cherished tradition in Pound Ridge.

Memorial Day marked its 20th year as antiques vendors and area farmers and growers lined Westchester Avenue in the Scotts Corner business district offering an eclectic array of merchandise to shoppers strolling from booth to booth in the heat and humidity.

The event is sponsored by the Pound Ridge Business Association and was the brainchild of Joan Silbersher, who owns Antiques & Tools of Business & Kitchen. Silbersher is overseeing this year’s markets.

The event started as just an antiques market, but when the economy began to slow in the mid-2000s, people stopped spending on antiques and the market began to dry up, Silbersher said.

“There were fewer and fewer antique customers due to the economy,” she said. “We needed a new angle. We thought that bringing in the farmers would bring in more traffic flow, and it has done just that. In fact, it has worked out very well.”

Monday’s fair drew 40 vendors, she said.

“Forty vendors isn’t too bad – we were aiming for that and we got it,” she said. “We filled up all our spots and really didn’t have room for any more.”

Silbersher said business in her own store was up about 20 percent compared to last year.

Out on the streets, vendors said they were pleased with the foot traffic.

“This is our third year coming to this, and we like it a lot,” said Phuntsok Dechen, owner of Tibet, a Queens, N.Y.-based antique shop that sells Tibetan and Burmese items. “Today has been a good day. We made some big sales, including two Buddha statues that went for a total of $2,700.”

Betty Goodman of Pound Ridge said she looks forward to the Antiques and Farmers Holiday Market every year.

“If the [Business Association] is going to go through all this trouble to put this on, the least I can do is show,” said Goodman, who was carrying a bagful of newly purchased items. “I like to see it all. I actually found quite a few things here today.”

The “holiday” aspect of the event – it’s held every Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day – was added to help businesses that didn’t want to be interfered with by having Westchester Avenue closed during regular business hours.

“The idea is to draw business to the business district and develop repeat customers who’ll keep coming back,” Silbersher said. “Today, we had good weather in spite of the forecast, and I think we’ve been successful.”

Click here to follow Daily Voice Pound Ridge and receive free news updates.