Vendor Feature: Fruition Chocolate, beaconknits, Cindy Hoose Studio, The Ardent Forager…

One of the coolest parts of Hullabaloo is meeting so many cool local people who do so many cool things! You remember our old pals, returning Hullabalooers Fruition Chocolate and beaconknits, don’t you?...And, allow us to introduce you to two new friends, Cindy Hoose Studio and The Ardent Forager! 

Fruition Chocolate, Kingston/Woodstock, NY

Bryan and Dahlia Graham keep racking up the awards for their incredible, handcrafted, “bean to bar” chocolate; most recently, they took home three awards from the Northwest Chocolate Festival. And that’s just one reason this has been a big year for them: they also recently opened a retail location in the heart of Woodstock, where they sell the chocolate bars, chocolate coated nuts and dried fruits, brown butterbourbon caramels (*swoon*), dark chocolate coated jalapeno dusted corn nuts, and other treats made in their Shokan workshop. It’s a labor-intensive process, but the end result is totally worth it. Bryan begins by slowlyroasting and stone-grinding hand-selected organic, fair trade cocoa beans to create an end product that’s not only some of the best chocolate you’ve ever tasted, but also incredibly gorgeous to look at. This winning combination makes their chocolates some of the best edible stocking stuffers imaginable, and terrific gifts for co-workers, hostesses, friends, and anyone with a sweet tooth! We’re so excited that Fruition will be returning to Hullabaloo for their third year! 

beaconknits, Beacon, NY

Beacon Knits is back again for Hullabaloo 2015, bringing her hand-knit, one-of-a-kind wool hats and headbands. Because each hat is unique, she’ll have completely new inventory since last year, but they’re just as cool and cozy! Laura believes that each hat is a response to the material chosen—that the colors and fibers she selects suggest a stitch and shape. She’s inspired by combining different fibers, textures, and colors, stitch-by-stitch, into a functional three-dimensional hat. Her work is beautifully finished, inside and out, and very durable. Laura has a hat for everyone—from the ski bum to the fashionista—so give the gift of warmth this winter! 

Cindy Hoose Studio, Kingston, NY

We’re excited to welcome Cindy Hoose and her one-of-a-kind stuffed creatures to Hullabaloo! (And we know that once you meet these critters, you’re going to want to welcome them into your home!) Cindy is inspired by vintage children’s books and forlorn expressions, and her stuffed animals and dolls have those “take me with you, won’t you?” faces you just won’t be able to resist. She’s also experimenting with some other mediums (like sewn artwork using encaustics and small creature sculptures using found materials and paper clay) and working on some other hand-sewn gifts.  Got a kid on your holiday shopping list (or maybe just a kid at heart)? Stop at Cindy’s table and pick out their new best buddy!

The Ardent Forager, Woodstock NY

Jennifer, AKA The Ardent Forager, thoughtfully curates a collection of props, Americana, heritage brands, and other vintage treasures. Whether you’re looking for a pile of vintage luggage for stylish storage in your Brooklyn studio or old-school wooden arrows to hang above the mantel at your Catskills getaway, Jennifer’s motto is “Yeah, I can find that!” Fruit crates with vivid vintage labels still intact? Check! A “kelliest of greens” Lacoste sweater perfectly preserved from the 80s? Yup! A hauntingly beautiful instant collection of black and white photos? She’s got it! You never know what you’ll find at The Ardent Forager’s table and that’s the way we like it…You’re sure to find something you didn’t know you couldn’t live without (cast iron buffalo bank), or the perfect nostalgic gift (1987 Whitesnake tour t-shirt)! So stop by and welcome The Ardent Forager to her first Hullabaloo!

Vendor Feature: Ash & Anchor, Honeybrook Farms, Ann Egan Jewelry, and Boneshaker Print Shop

It’s that time in the Hullabaloo countdown—time to start introducing some of our awesome vendors! Two of them you’ve met at past Hullabaloos…and two are new friends. All are incredible additions to our line-up! Read about them below:

Ash and Anchor, Catskill, NY

We just LOVE Nina Pace’s bold yet-intricate patterns and everything she puts them on! Designed for the bohemian at heart, Ash and Anchor offers scarves, pillows, tea towels, serving platters, and more in truly unique designs that combine elements of flora and fauna, geometry and geology, astronomy, mythology, and more into a beautiful organic collision. Each time you look at one of Nina’s beautiful patterns, you discover something new about it—a snake weaving around the mandala-like image in the center of a platter, the Victorian-inspired roses on a pillow that remind you of your grandma’s house, how perfectly the background pattern of a scarf echoes the diamond in the focal point. We think everyone deserves to surround themselves with art…so pick out something for a few of your favorite people when you stop and say hello to Ash and Anchor at her first Hullabaloo!

Honeybrook Farms, Pine Bush, NY

Welcome back to Hullabaloo, Honeybrook Farms!  Their 100% natural honey and honey bee products are completely raw, unprocessed, uncooked, strained-only, and local—coming “direct from the beehive to you!” Todd has been a beekeeper since 1968, learning from a master beekeeper in Germany as a kid—and trust us, there’s a lot to learn!  Honeybrook offers wildflower honey, buckwheat honey, bee pollen and more, wholesaling to customers from the apiary in Pine Bush, and selling at local events. This year, they added jams made with honey to their line, and we CAN’T WAIT to try it!  

Ann Egan Jewelry, Kingston, NY

Ann Egan’s jewelry combines traditional elegance with intricate, exotic design. With juxtapositions of shapes and colors reminiscent of other art forms (think: mosaics, stained glass, and certain styles of painting), Ann’s work takes on a distinct aesthetic that melds different periods and styles (you can see the influence of her art history roots!). She uses semiprecious stones, Austrian crystals, Czech and Bohemian glass, and seed beads mosaicked into original brass castings, which have been oxidized for a vintage feel. This is Ann’s first Hullabaloo and we’re so excited to have her! Her beautiful and unique earrings, necklaces, and bracelets would be a big hit with the ladies in your life so be sure to check Ann’s table out!

Boneshaker Print Shop, Kingston, NY

Have you seen people walking around with those super-cool Kingston t-shirts? You know, the COOL ones! Yeah, now you know what we’re talking about: The old-school Stockade District map shirts, the retro uptown Kingston New York shirts, the “Stockade Names” tees, the Trail Marker tees, the Midtown Arts District tees? Steve from Boneshaker hand-screens clothing and accessories that pay tribute to our awesome City of Kingston. His shirts have sold out at both previous Hullabaloos, so get there early to grab yours! He’s also bringing along hoodies, bags, and beanies this year, so you can show your Kingston pride from head to…well, hip at least. And hip they are: these aren’t your typical tourist t-shirts—these original designs reflect Kingston’s cool vibe, historic hipness, and authentic, loveable grit! 

DJ Mr. Chips: Adding Funk to the Festivities at Hullabaloo 2015!

It wouldn’t be a party without music and though Danielle is known for her super-fresh playlists, she’ll be busy running the show during Hullabaloo!

With that in mind from the start, we went to our favorite professional: He’s lauded around town as the guy who does the classic hip-hop dance parties at The Anchor and other local watering holes, but you might also know him as Hullabaloo’s official DJ—Andrew Nelson, aka DJ Mr. Chips. We’re pleased to announce that he’ll be back at it, spinning at Hullabaloo as he has since the beginning!

DJ Mr. Chips not only has a talent for creating some pretty sick mash-ups (someone on social media once reminisced about his at-Hullabaloo mash-up of Led Zeppelin with the theme from Star Wars), he’s also got impeccable taste in old school hip-hop, funk, soul, indie rock, and holiday tunes you’re NOT sick of hearing…all of which will come together to form the perfect shopping soundtrack!

But perhaps you haven’t noticed this under-appreciated talent (case in point): He’s also got a knack for keeping the music at juuuussstttt the right level (as in, you’ll want to bust a move, but you’ll be able to talk to the artist about the one-of-a-kind gift you’re buying). What a guy!

We know you’re as psyched about DJ Mr. Chips’ return as we are, so start working on your (family-friendly) requests now…we know Danielle will be!