The popular Artisan Market at Brookside Museum is returning soon for the 2020 holiday shopping season.
The event will be held from Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, through Dec. 24 at Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton St. in Ballston Spa.
Its hours will be noon to 4 p.m. on Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
Like its predecessors, the 20th installment of the market will feature only handcrafted products created by local artisans, including everything from natural soaps and lotions to unique ornaments and jewelry to scrumptious syrups and eatables.
“It is truly a unique shopping experience,” museum retail manager Beth Silvestri said. “There is such a variety of items, it makes holiday shopping simple, plus each item sold supports both the Saratoga County History Center and local artisans. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
All money raised by the Artisan Market will fund public programming and collection maintenance for the Saratoga County History Center, which is headquartered at Brookside Museum and dedicated to preserving local history, educating the public and serving the diverse Saratoga County communities.
Silvestri said the fundraiser helps ensure that future generations of Saratoga County residents, as well as people from around the world, will be able to learn about and enjoy the historic region.
Any inquiries about the market should be directed to Silvestri at bsilvestri@brooksidemuseum.org.
Additional information about the Artisan Market can be found online at brooksidemuseum.org.
The Artisan’s Market is a juried, month long market, for local vendors of hand-made goods. Vendors set up their displays and Brookside handles all sales and taxes.
The Saratoga County Historical Society at Brookside Museum is reinventing itself as the Saratoga County History Center.
For nearly 60 years, the organization has focused primarily on Brookside Museum (a 1792 summer boarding house in Ballston Spa), catering to local history enthusiasts and genealogy hunters.
By October 2019, however, it was clear to the board of trustees that traditional approaches to public history and community engagement would no longer sustain the institution. On the brink of closing, a “Save Brookside” campaign was launched, ultimately raising over $90,000. Nevertheless, the sudden onset of COVID-19 pandemic kept the historical society in crisis.
A reshuffling of the board of trustees yielded new, innovative approaches to serving the community and preserving history, society officials aid.
Rather than concentrating exclusively on Ballston Spa locals and museum walk-ins, the organization now endeavors to represent all the diverse populations and histories of Saratoga County as a whole through a variety of online and in-person exhibits, programs, and events. Thus, rebranding as the Saratoga County History Center with a vision to “Share history to promote community.”