Andrea Harwood
By Andrea Harwood
Winklepickers in Lake George has expanded at a new location at 222 Canada St..
Additionally, store owners Rachel and Dave Dutra are running an AirBnb on the second floor of the new building.
Winklepickers carries mid-to-high-end gifts, novelties, souvenirs, art and décor. Most items are made locally. The store features an exhaustive collection of hand-made loose-leaf teas and hand-made spices from Rachel’s Spice Co.
The Lake George House of Jerky is also located inside the Winklepickers store.
“I take pride in this space, and in what we’re providing the Village of Lake George,” said Dutra. “I frequently bring in fresh flowers and make sure the floor looks inviting. We aren’t just another T-shirt shop. We’re proud to represent Lake George with a quality store.”
“Winklepickers is for visitors and residents alike,” said Dutra.
“We grew up here and we love this town,” said owner Rachel Dutra. “When we open a store, we’re providing the best quality products and the best quality service, because we believe people deserve that.”
Dutra owned and operated Rachel’s Spice Co. & Café in Glens Falls for many years. She relocated the spice company to the Winklepicker’s location, and consolidated the café when Winklepickers became too successful to keep both venues open. The former cafe eating space at 240 Warren St. in Glens Falls is for rent.
Winklepickers opened in Lake George in the summer of 2020. After a robust year of sales, the gift and novelty shop moved a couple blocks over to a larger location on Canada Street. The impetus for the move was a need for more floor space and storage space. With the shop having such a strong first year, Dutra found she needed to expand sooner than anticipated.
The building came with a spacious residential apartment on the top floor which functions as the AirBnb. The apartment is called The Overlook at Shepard’s Cove, and includes on-premise parking for one vehicle. With three bedrooms, four beds and one bathroom, the rustic space sleeps six. There is a dedicated private room with Wifi that can be used as a workspace. It has a fully equipped kitchen, large living room and a private enclosed deck or sunroom. It also includes a washer and dryer.
Winklepickers phone number is 518-685-3018. The website is www.pickwinks.com. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.