The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) will hold its Adirondack Buyer Days, an annual business-to-business trade show that features the work of artisan makers from across the Northeast, in an in-person format later this month in Saratoga Springs.
As the COVID pandemic loosens its hold on New York state, businesses and communities, regional retailers are invited to connect directly with local makers and purchase handcrafted gift products for their shops, organizers said.
The annual show, which was canceled in 2020 and held virtually in 2021 due to the pandemic, will return to its longtime home at the Saratoga Springs City Center on March 29 and 30.
Adirondack Buyer Days is a nonprofit, juried trade show featuring makers of handmade gifts from northern New York and northern New England. Product categories include housewares, personal care, value-added foods, garden and outdoors, apparel, jewelry, stationery and more.
The show is for wholesale sales only and is not open to the public.
Registration is open for buyers online at bit.ly/adkbd.
“We are so excited to be back in Saratoga Springs this year. You really can’t beat the in-person experience,” said Lauren Richard, ANCA small business services coordinator. “When buyers are able to meet the makers face-to-face and see, smell and touch a wide variety of local products, it’s easier for them to make decisions about purchasing, plan for their upcoming sales seasons and add more local goods to their inventory.”
Despite concerns earlier this year about hosting a large in-person event, ANCA Executive Director Elizabeth Cooper said the show’s timing now seems optimal for regional business owners who are preparing for a busy 2022 season. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent decisions to end mask requirements in businesses and schools reflects an easing up of pandemic-related restrictions and public health concerns across the state.
“Visitors and shoppers will be returning to our towns and villages in large numbers this year,” Cooper said. “Now more than ever, locals and visitors are eager to support small businesses and help them bounce back from the pandemic. Adirondack Buyer Days creates a win-win-win for local shops, their customers and the artisan businesses they support. We’re so glad ANCA can provide this interactive experience again for our region’s businesses.”
Richard said she enjoys seeing products made by show vendors in stores across the region, like The Crow’s Nest gift shop at The Hedges on Blue Mountain Lake. The Adirondack Great Camp, which offers lakeside lodging, fine dining, outdoor activities and cultural programs, stocks its shop with a variety of locally made gifts.
“Adirondack Buyer Days is great for connecting with a wide variety of regional artists and craftspeople who offer beautifully made products,” said Lynne Croucher, co-manager of The Crow’s Nest. “This is a valuable resource for us to maintain our focus on U.S.-made merchandise and small businesses. We’ve found a number of vendors that we’ve returned to for their wood and metal works, ceramics, jams, posters, mugs, holiday ornaments, candies and more. And there are always new ones to meet, which makes this a must-attend event for us.”
Richard said she finds the camaraderie among artisan vendors inspiring and contagious.
“Watching these small business owners meet each other, come up with new ideas together, and coach each other along the way is what Buyer Days is all about,” she said. “The buyers and makers who attend this show care about each other and the long-term success of our region’s small businesses. Seeing these relationships develop and grow is truly inspiring, especially during this time that has been so challenging for many businesses.”
ANCA’s 14-county region includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Oneida, Oswego, Warren and Washington counties.
Retailers are invited to register before the show, which will take place at the Saratoga Springs City Center on Tuesday, March 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, March 30, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Questions about the event may be directed to Richard at lrichard@adirondack.org.