Indie Makers to Host Market in Washington Park

By NICOLE FOSTER
Staff Writer

Something unexpected was born in an Albany basement speakeasy. Two friends met outside a red lit door, were granted entry and ordered a round of whiskey cocktails. With cell phone use strictly prohibited by management, a notebook was placed on the table, ready for handwritten ideas. At the conclusion of the quiet colloquy, a business partnership had been built and the people of Albany didn’t know what was about to hit them: The Half Moon Market.
Caroline Corrigan and Adelia Sugarman, both 30, exude pride and enthusiasm for this city. They hunkered down one night in Speakeasy 518 to come up with a plan that would offer something unique to the Capital Region. Both artists, they stood by their strengths and created a free, family friendly public market to house sellers of creative, handmade merchandise. Now in its second year, the next Half Moon Market is approaching and will take place April 23 and 24 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Washington Park lake house.
As soon as they began to fill the notebook with a plan of execution, the co-founders quickly shed the uncertainty they had been carrying. By the time Corrigan and Sugarman left the speakeasy, they had the location and name of the market settled as well as a list of makers they wanted to invite to participate.
“We talked about doing a market for a year before planning it,” explained Sugarman.
“We were always intimidated by how much work it would be,” said Corrigan. “We went to the speakeasy, broke it down and saw it wasn’t so impossible.”
They reflected on Albany’s heritage for the market’s title.
“The name ‘Half Moon’ is a nod to the history of this area,” said Sugarman. “The Half Moon, or Halve Maen, the original Dutch name, was the ship Henry Hudson sailed up the river in 1609 as far as the present day location of Albany.”
Each brings her own expertise to the endeavor and it didn’t take long for the women to start forming the market. Sugarman runs Owlkill Studio, where she makes and sells jewelry and leather goods. Almost every summer weekend, she sets up a booth at an outdoor market and displays her products. With so much experience in that environment, Sugarman knows various makers from the area, the necessary ingredients for a successful market and how to conduct an application process to find Half Moon’s first sellers. Sugarman said she had a good understanding of what works and what doesn’t and how to organize a market. Vendors had to apply for a spot and Sugarman spent more than a week pouring over the 100 received applications, narrowing it down to the top 40.
“This is where Adelia is really great,” gushed Corrigan. “She finds a good variety of artists that will appeal to a broad range of ages and different types of people.”
Sugarman quipped, “The division of labor happened very organically.”
Corrigan’s piece of the puzzle offered branding, web design and connections through-out the city. She graduated from The College of Saint Rose in 2008 with a degree in fine arts and has found a strong community of young, like-minded entrepreneurs, including August Rosa, co-owner of Brew, a local craft beer shop. Rosa also attended the College and has been commissioned by the Half Moon duo to set up a libation station at the market.
“There’s something to be said for us Saint Rose kids who stuck around and now run businesses in Albany,” Corrigan said.
In addition to providing beverages for 21-and-over shoppers, the women think that having Brew at the lake house might draw people out who may not have gone to an indie market. Corrigan pointed out that nearly all the beer offered at this month’s market will be made in upstate New York. Brew was also present at Half Moon’s initial event last year.
The first market took place in October 2015. Approaching their experiment with caution, the two women decided to host just one and see what happened. It was a huge success. Many attendees requested Corrigan and Sugarman host the market weekly while others expressed it was their first visit to the lake house despite living in Albany their whole lives.
“We had no idea what to expect,” Corrigan said. “We were very encouraged.”
In addition to a great turn out and appreciation for the venue, one other pleasant surprise came in the form of a politician.
“We were really excited to see Mayor Sheehan was a fan,” said Corrigan with wide eyes.
Albany’s mayor took her time perusing the vendors and even enjoyed a cold craft brew. Soon after the market finished its two-day run, her office reached out to Corrigan and Sugarman to offer assistance. The city has become a sponsor for April’s event.
“They’re helping with some of the logistics,” disclosed Corrigan. “They’ve become a really great partner. It’s really nice to see the city supports it and they want to help us. That’s not always the case with artists. They said, ‘Whatever we can do to help you.’”
Perks of having Mayor Sheehan on their side are a waived fee for renting the lake house and expedited paper work. Sugarman explained that last year they had to wait more than a week for a two-day beer permit. This time they were approved within a day.
“The Half Moon Market represents so much that I love about Albany,” Mayor Sheehan said. “It’s a grassroots project, it’s a collaboration between independent business owners and neighborhood residents, and it’s creating an authentic event with authentic products. I’m hoping to stop by and see the assortment of crafts by local entrepreneurs, and I encourage others to do the same.”
It wasn’t immediately clear to choose the lake house as the market’s home. With an abundance of attractive buildings in the city, the pair found it “surprisingly challenging” to figure out the right fit. Corrigan and Sugarman wanted a wide open space that also provided bathrooms.
“All those beautiful old banks are privately owned,” said Corrigan. “We couldn’t afford to rent them. We were competing with weddings. Parking is challenging. When we found out the lake house was for rent, the lightbulb went off.”
Sugarman said they don’t have to do much to get the lake house ready for the market other than a quick clean and taping off spaces for vendor booths. One of their friends set up a large scale plant splendor across a wall last year and she’s on board to do it again. Corrigan was coy when asked what to expect with the display, saying only, “It’s a surprise spring time plant installation.”
Tess Palma-Martinez is the owner of Forage + Sundry in Troy and holds the task of covering 27.5 feet of wall with fresh greenery. She said last year’s prep was simple and repetitive but this time the concept is completely different. Palma-Martinez will forage for all the materials and arrange them at her shop. She’ll transport everything to the lake house before the market begins.
“Luckily the back hallway of my store is 28 feet long, so I can work right on the wall,” she said. “This year has a lot more variety of plant life going into the installation.”
Palma-Martinez listed sumac, thistle, pine, tansy and fern as stars of the set up. Once the market is over, all the materials will be “reused or returned to the earth.”
Elaborating on the décor, Corrigan said, “All the vendors have such amazing displays, each one feels like its own little store. We hang up spring lights, Brew sets up their bar, it transforms.”
The team has a group of loved ones who are committed to seeing the market succeed and they work right up to the final hours.
“The night before, we’ve got a group of friends who help us: running errands, folding programs until 1 a.m., hanging string lights,” listed Sugarman. “Our circle of friends has been really supportive.”
If shopping for jewelry, leather goods, apothecary products, ceramics, wood work, art, quilts and furniture strikes up some appetites, Half Moon Market has it covered. Emack and Bolio’s, Pippy’s Hotdog Truck and La Empanada Llama will all be on site to dole out sustenance. Stacks will be there, too, pouring fresh coffee.
One major difference from last year will be music. The Half Moon mothers rotated a band and DJ at the fall event. To make room for a few more vendors, they chose to forgo the live entertainment and instead will plug in a well cultivated playlist. The friends started to laugh when Sugarman described the selections as, “Really good oldies all weekend.”
For now, the indie entrepreneurs are satisfied with keeping the market small and hosting it twice a year. They prefer a special, intimate experience.
“We feel good about one in spring and one in fall,” said Sugarman.
“Try some great beer, meet some artists, bring kids,” advises Corrigan. “The best case scenario would be having a really nice market that’s run well with great artists in a space that will make people go, ‘Wow, Albany is beautiful.’”