Speakers and presentations, clockwise from top left: Centerpiece by Isabelle Bosquet-Morra of Fleurisa; Thomas Burak of Thomas Burak Interiors; home on historic house tour; kitchen in house tour; tabletop by Michael Devine Home; Amy Crane of Amy Crane Color.
Kinderhook, NY has its own fascinating history: a visit by Henry Hudson himself, a resident named Martin Van Buren and the site of Washington Irving’s penning of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." But now there’s a forward-looking revitalization going on in the Columbia County village, and on April 18, the Village of Kinderhook presents its first
Spring Home & Garden Day to celebrate the many resources the village has to offer. The event also includes an historic house tour.
“We’ve been trying to create special events to create buzz around the village and to get people to come," says
Renee Shur, the director of the recently created Office of Economic Development. “We have some incredible businesses in the area and great retail spaces in the village center," naming
The Flammerie and the
Jack Shainman Gallery, among others. “It’s the beginning of a shift going on and we want to highlight what’s here and the possibilities they offer."
The keynote speaker is Barbara Pierson of
White Flower Farm in Litchfield, who will present a session on the latest trends in container gardening. There will be programs on home organization, color for residential interiors, setting a fashionable table and solar power consultations, along with many others.
For many, the highlight is the Village of Kinderhook Historic House Tour, an opportunity to be a fly on the wall at five 18th- and 19th-century homes. Tickets are $15 per person or $25 per couple, with proceeds benefiting beautification projects throughout the Village.
“The Historic House Tour was a tradition, but there hasn’t been one in a few years," says Shur. “People are really looking forward to that. We have such an incredible collection of historic homes from many eras."
A map and event schedule will be available at the welcome tent on Kinderhook’s Village Square on the day of the event. Except for the Historic House Tour, all events are free.
Shur, who moved to Columbia County from Brooklyn (“there are a lot of full-timers moving here from Brooklyn… and California“), says once she put the word out, local business people responded quickly. The design professionals, especially, are eager to introduce themselves and highlight what they do.
“After this brutal winter, everyone needs something special to do," she says. Spring in Kinderhook hits that spot.
Village of Kinderhook Spring Home & Garden Day
April 18, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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