This year’s Winter Village at Red Mill Museum along with the 11th Annual Festival of Trees took place during Thanksgiving weekend from November 27-29. With over 30 handmade craft vendors and decorative trees, the Red Mill grounds became a Winter Wonderland!
With the holidays quickly approaching, Winter Village was the perfect way to kickoff your shopping for this upcoming season. There were vendors specializing in all kinds of handmade items like woodwork, jewelry, knitted products, candles, ceramics, soaps, and all kinds of treats! Kilhaney’s Pickles were a popular choice, offering some fresh ready-to-go Jersey pickles:
Meanwhile, on the sweeter side of things, Don’t Forget Dessert had some irresistible treats like giant stuffed cupcakes!
There were even a few food truck-style vendors serving up beer, coffee, pierogis & kielbasa, and nuts! Everything was spaced out or tented (with plexiglass shields for the vendors themselves) so that everyone could have a safe shopping experience. And with plenty of areas off to the side for you to step away & enjoy your food/drinks, it never felt crowded or stuffy throughout the weekend. Plus it was a great opportunity to check out all the beautifully decorated trees for the annual Festival of Trees:
Each tree had a corresponding sign with additional information as well as a QR code to scan so that you can vote for your favorite! It was amazing walking the grounds along the Raritan River/Mulhockaway Creek, and taking in all the sights whether it’s the Grinch parading around or peeking into a building to catch a real blacksmith giving a live demonstration:
It was wonderful seeing so many lights & decorations putting everyone in a festive mood – it was just what some people needed! And you just never know what you’ll come across that you never knew you needed! Astro Vinyl Art brought along some amazing pieces for music aficionados. Show some love for your favorite bands with these framed masterpieces, etched out of actual vinyl records:
Or maybe you have a close personal geeky friend who needs a little signage in their life? Jackie’s Copper Creations ought to do the trick! Framed pieces, plaques, hooks, and any custom piece you can think of, Jackie hand draws each copper creation on thin sheets of copper and covers everything from logos to quotes:
All in all, Winter Village was an amazing time and the organizers (Marketspace Vendor Events) did a fantastic job putting it together. Holding it outdoors felt safe and even made for some beautiful photo opportunities all around the Red Mill area. And even if you missed this 3-day event, you can still support these awesome vendors & businesses and get some more holiday shopping done by heading over to the Marketspace Vendor Events Instagram page to discover even more featured vendors!
LesDudis 