Conceived as an antidote to Black Friday’s big-box frenzy in 2013, Basilica Farm & Flea has evolved into a three-times-a-year market that channels the Hudson Valley’s creative and agricultural output into a single, bustling weekend. Returning May 9–10 to Basilica Hudson, the event gathers more than 100 regional farmers, chefs, artists, collectors, and community organizations under one soaring industrial roof.
The original premise still holds: prioritize local production, direct exchange, and the pleasure of encountering things made by hand. The vendor lineup stretches wide across the region’s creative and agricultural spectrum. Food and drink anchors include Breezy Hill Orchard, Little Rico, and Sira Ulō, with pantry staples from Four Sisters Kimchi and MISOMARU. Farm and garden goods arrive via Chaseholm Farm Creamery and Common Hands Farm, while ceramics by Ariella Ceramics and Ross Kunze Pottery share space with home goods from Catskill Mountain Woodworking and Gumball Glassworks. Vintage dealers like Artemis & James and White Whale Limited mingle with slow fashion labels including Fahari Bazaar and Karema Deodato Millinery. Add printed matter from PM Press, spirits from Cooper’s Daughter, and jewelry by Tiny Anvil, and the effect is cumulative: a dense, walkable cross-section of the Hudson Valley’s independent makers and producers, all under one roof.
Programming throughout the weekend reinforces that sense of participation. Hudson Film Festival will be on site sharing details about its local film programming, while Diata Diata and the Hudson Youth Clubhouse host collaborative art-making sessions, and Wally Farms leads agriculture-focused workshops. At Cone Zero Ceramics, visitors can try their hand at shaping an earthen vessel, turning raw material into something functional.
Elsewhere, the offerings tilt toward the experiential. Happy Place Hudson tattoo studio provides fresh ink for those inclined to mark the occasion permanently, and The Afghan Camera sets up a vintage black-and-white portrait studio—an analog keepsake from a weekend that moves at a lively pace.
Saturday adds a family-centered dimension. A Tree Told Me hosts outdoor sessions on the South Side lawn, inviting young children and caregivers to explore emotional awareness through movement. Scheduled as a 1:30pm “Seed” demo (ages 3–4) and a 2pm “Sprout” demo (ages 4–7), the workshops bring mindfulness into a shared, physical space.
By late afternoon, the energy shifts again. The Mad Hatters’ Parade passes through around 4pm with marching music and handmade costumes, gathering momentum as it moves across the grounds and settles into a final burst of performance on the South Grass.
Across both days, Farm & Flea functions as a meeting point—between makers and neighbors, between commerce and conversation, between the Hudson Valley as it is and as it’s being shaped. For a weekend in May, it offers a dense, lived-in snapshot of the region’s creative life, with plenty of reasons to stay a while.
Basilica Farm and Flea takes place Saturday May 9 and Sunday, May 10, 10am to 5pm. Entry is $5 at the door.
