First Hillsdale Workshop Experience Weekend Packed With Events For Curious Minds
Over the past 15 or so years, the small town of Hillsdale has grown from a pleasant little NY/Mass border town into a haven for immensely talented and creative entrepreneurs. This eclectically industrious community is now joining forces to teach others through a diverse lineup of workshops that range from cooking and gardening to crafting —and even the decoding of cemetery symbols.
The new Hillsdale Workshop Alliance kicks off its series of experiential learning opportunities with The Workshop Experience on September 11 and 12. The roster of events allows for attendees to take multiple classes in the areas of their interest and areas they never knew they were interested in.
The Alliance came into being organically at a casual meeting of notable Hillsdalians: gardening superstar Margret Roach; Hillsdale General Store and HGS Home Chef owner Mathew White; and Tiny Hearts Farm head flower farmer Jenny Elliot. The three were already offering classes and public guidance in their fields, so bringing their endeavors together, and inviting their talented friends and neighbors to join the party, seemed like a natural extension of those efforts.
“I’d always admired Margaret Roach’s workshops, garden days and the experiential learning she provided, which is what inspired me to present cooking classes in Hillsdale almost six years ago,” said White. “Between us, we’ve now produced literally hundreds of workshops here in and around Hillsdale. It occurred to us that we could join forces with others to create an even more diverse collection of carefully curated workshops that attract interested people to our region to learn from a growing roster of exceptional instructors.”
Jim Carden, owner of Taconic Ridge Farm, was particularly game and eagerly helped set up workshops at his beautiful onsite event space. It was important to the organizers that the spaces selected to house the workshops be elegant and an influencing element of the workshops.
“I’ve always been amazed that a town as small as Hillsdale can have so much going on,” said Carden. “We really hope people will make a weekend of it and try more than one class.”
During this tranquil but productive weekend, attendees can learn how to carve a wooden spoon with local woodworker Rowland Butler, make dahlia-centric flower arraignments with Elliott herself, or take a creative writing mini-retreat with Libba Bray and Susanna Schrobsdorff. Each workshop instructor is supremely qualified; for example, Bray is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author and Schrobsdorff was a vice president at Time, where she is still an editor at large.
If you are looking to elevate your at-home activities, how about learning to cook the perfect veggie burger with cookbook author Lukas Volger, or taking a natural dye workshop with textile artist Jamie Goldenberg? Find out what it takes to establish and run your own homestead with professional homebody Kristin White.
You can also take a movement workshop for non-dancers with acclaimed dancer Aubrey Lynch II. Among his many accomplishments, Lynch was an original cast member and associate producer of "The Lion King" on Broadway and is Dean of Faculty and Students at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. White says they hope attendees leave the weekend with new skills and new knowledge, reinforced by the memory of a beautifully curated experience. Classes range in price but include all necessary materials they may involve.
“We’ve had people from as far away as Chicago register for our classes,” reports Jenny Elliot, co-owner of Tiny Hearts Farm. “We expect a great turnout for this launch event.”
As residents across the region reconstruct post COVID living, connecting with local makers, doers and small businesses is an authentic way to feel grounded and connected to a sense of place and self. The Hillsdale Workshop Alliance is a literal DIY, rebuilding community through The Workshop Experience.
For more information on the workshop schedule and pricing visit theworkshopexperience.org.
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