Visitors enjoy opening weekend
Scores of people filled The Hutton Brickyards as Smorgasburg Upstate wrapped up its opening weekend Sunday.
With temperatures hovering around 70 degrees and cloudless skies visitors packed the same two renovated buildings that opened in August of 2016.
Unlike last year, food and flea market vendors shared the same portion of the building, with the flea market vendors in the center and the food vendors flanking the outside.
Organizer Benjamin Horn said the change was done to hopefully foster more “cross traffic” and add more a “market vibe”.
Smorgasburg also changed their schedule to have the food and flea market run on Saturday and Sunday the third weekend of each month through October instead of each Saturday.
A change Horn admitted he was driven by trying to fit in with a busy festival season in the region.
“Every single weekend from May through October is filled with something to do Garlic Fest, the Strawberry Festival, the Wool Festival, Mountain Jam,” Horn said. “I found since we were doing a weekly market we weren’t able to create the same draw those events did.
“A lot people said ‘Oh I’ll just go next week because that’s always there’ and then that happened and they never came.”
With the new plan they hope to make it more special, he added.
Horn said he was happy with how this year’s opening went compared to last year’s opener when the venue was overwhelmed with between 9,000 and 10,000 visitors.
And returning vendors and visitors said they were happy with the changes.
Jim Demos co-owner of Santa Fe Mexican restaurant, which has locations in Uptown Kingston, Woodstock and Tivoli, said he thinks this year’s layout and the new schedule.
“The new layout is much better,” Demos said.
Demos said he was impressed so far the turnout over opening weekend.
“Yesterday it was very positive and today as of 1 p.m. there’s already been a lot more people.”
Candace Womble and Christian LaConture, of Kingston, came with their 1-year-old daughter Aaliyah and Womble said she was enjoying it more than last year
“Last year it was a little too crowded,” Womble said. “This year there’s a little more room to move.”
As for her favorite thing she said it was Terrapin Restaurant’s nachos.
Womble said she likes the way Smorgasburg lets her enjoy big city type activities without all the congestion and crowds.
New for this year was Kovo Rotisserie restaurant which is located at 43 North Front Street.
Manager Molly Sterrs said she was impressed with this year’s improvements.
“The new layout makes it a much more enjoyable experience for vendors and attendees alike,” Sterrs said.
Sterrs said she sees Smorgasburg as a chance for Kovo to showcase items not on the menu at their uptown location, like octopus, which turned into a surprise hit.
“It’s nice to see people who have a sense of adventure.
Rebecca Blough and Joshua Brown of Newburgh were taking everything in with their Australian Sheppard and German Pointer mix skillet.
“It’s awesome, it’s a beautiful day a great space,” Blough said.
Brown who has been to the original Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, Brooklyn said he preferred this vibe.
“It’s much more relaxed than Brooklyn.”