Despite finger numbing cold and a light dusting of snow the night before, on Saturday, Nov. 30, the West Cornwall Holiday Market, held on the lawn of The Wish House, attracted many shoppers.
Ashley Parsons, of “Parsnips Playful Creations” filled her booth with her handmade crocheted and playful teddy bears, dragons, snowflakes, dogs, mushrooms, gnomes, rabbits, and crocheted plants whose leaves, when pulled, became coasters.
Parsons has been making her crafts “since the pandemic.” She just started selling. “It’s a new adventure.” she said.
Lauren Kendrick shared a booth with her mother Treasa Pattison. Lauren said, “I usually paint but have been getting into sewing this year.” She makes “Lauren’s Little Birds” and “teabag” bookmarks made of cloth.
Her mother, Treasa Pattison, who organized the holiday market, had her “Mother Tree Remedies” on sale. Pattison is a medicinal herbalist. Her products “are made from herbs that I either forage for or grow.” Among her products are Sleepy Tea, Poison Ivy Bug Bite cream, Elderberry Elixir, and Arnica Oil.
Michele Paladino of “Lindera,” had wreaths made of grape vine, and decorative arrangements for the holidays. Paladino “Collects native seeds from this region and grows them,” for her products in Falls Village.
Sharing her booth was Helena Barnes, proprietor of Sharon Valley Honey. The honey comes from her own hives. She had three kinds of honey: raw, whipped, and honey butter. She noted “the color of honey is tied to the flowers.” Golden rod, for example, makes darker honey.
At the Birch Lane Rustics’ booth, Matt Wabrek from Canaan, explained how he got started making things. “A cherry tree fell in my yard. I didn’t want to waste the wood.” He milled the wood himself and made a table and charcuterie boards. “I have a welding background and so I could make the legs. I like mixing metal with wood.” He “repurposes and upscales things,” using horseshoes, skis, pickaxes, hoes, hammers, and other old tools in his creations. Birch Lane Rustics will be appearing at craft and artisans fairs in the coming months.
At Lynette’s Precocious Preserves, her helpers, dogs Reese and Rita, wore reindeer antlers and greeted customers. Lynette Hatfield makes the preserves herself in Kent. “Strawgasm,” a mix of strawberry and rhubarb, is a best seller.” She grows her own rhubarb. Other flavors include Black Bear Jam and Mushroom Magic.
Next to Lynette was Pebbles, a French bakery which makes organic and locally sourced baked goods, including scones, Madeleines, tarts, and Coffee Ganache Cake. Owners Ji-Won Lee and Alex Delletery, make all the pastries themselves.
Jewelry maker, Rose Fitch and her twin, Indigo, sat with earrings and necklaces Rose made. Rose explained the jewelry began as her “capstone project at Housatonic Valley Regional High School.” Capstone projects have to show responsibility and problem solving. She moved on to selling her designs.
Ann Gold had a table with homemade jams and hand sewn potholders. All the proceeds from items sold go to the Chapel at All Saints. Jams include Plum Apple, Apple Pie, and Pear Jalapeno.
After the event organizer Treasa Pattison said, “It was a great turnout and a ton of fun!”
Many of the vendors have Instagram or Facebook pages and also sell their goods at local farmer’s markets and at The Local, a new store in West Cornwall that sells products made by local residents.
L. Tomaino
Matt Wabrek of Birch Lane Rustics, with one of his garden sculptures. He repurposes and upscales old horseshoes, skis, hammers, hoes, shovels and other old tools in his sculptures and furniture. His work was on view at the West Cornwall Holiday Market on Nov. 30.
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Co-owner Lenore Mallett
The Colonial Theatre has been a part of North Canaan’s downtown since 1923. Its latest chapter began in 2023 when Lenore and Mark Mallett joined Dave and Stacy Fiorillo to purchase the long-vacant building with a vision of restoring it as a gathering place.
“We wanted to pay honor to its past,” Lenore Mallett said. “It was such a lovely gathering space for so long that we all felt a calling to bring that back to the community because it’s such a gem and it should be shared.
The owners’ vision was clear – revive the building’s exterior and get people in the doors.
Their first order of business was to provide the theater with what they described as a much-needed facelift.
From the street, the building appeared neglected, Mallett said. Peeling paint and a faded marquee masked an interior that she said was surprisingly well preserved after a major renovation in the early 2000s.
Focusing on curb appeal, they repaired the marquee, painted the whole building, and brought back some of the “vibrancy.”
The result, Mallett said, was a transformation that brought a diverse range of vendors, renters and tenants to the building and its two first-floor retail spaces. Since reopening, the building has housed a bakery, a photography studio and a children’s arts and crafts center while hosting movie nights, birthday parties and private events.
A collection of posters and newspaper clippings.Photo by Aly Morrissey
The history
The Colonial Theatre’s history is as interesting and diverse as the many nooks and crannies within the building itself.
Built in 1923 by hotelier Seth Moseley as a gift for his wife, the building was originally known as “The Casino.”
Mallett said his wife often traveled from New Haven and grew bored of rural living, prompting Moseley to build her a three-level entertainment space.
“Downstairs had the bowling alley, the main floor had the theater, and upstairs was a dance hall,” Mallett said, adding that the main floor had air conditioning, a rare luxury at the time.
The bowling alley had eight alleys and advertised a “fully equipped soda and snack shop to refresh you.”
The Casino was sold in 1929 to businessman Anthony Boscardin, who modernized the building, changed its name, and created the art-deco interior that The Colonial Theatre is still known for today.
Old ticket stubs can still be found in the attic showing movies that cost between 15 and 25 cents during the early days.
The theater struggled financially and closed in 1997. After undergoing a roughly $1 million renovation in the early 2000s, it shuttered its doors in 2010 and remained closed for a decade until the Mallett and Fiorillo families purchased it.
The future
Although the owners are ready to step aside, they hope the building’s next chapter builds on the foundation they’ve laid.
“We think the next steward, if they came in and were passionate about entertainment or food and beverage, this could certainly get taken to the next level,” Mallett said.
The theater will continue to operate with its regularly scheduled sponsored movies and private events while the owners search for a buyer.
“We’ve greased the wheels,” Mallett said. “We opened the doors, launched the business, created a website and built a booking and ticketing system. We have all the nuts and bolts, so if there was someone willing to take it on, it could really be something special.”
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