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Coming back

Buyer reviving Cross Roads market

After scheduling to being closed, a new owner has decided to keep Cross Roads open this year.

WESTFIELD — Many who shopped at the Cross Roads Farm and Craft Market late last season thought they would no longer be able to enjoy perusing the booths of various hometown vendors.

And they were right. Until late December on one of the market’s last weekends.

That’s when the market’s buyer, Amila Gunasekera, set foot on the Sherman-Westfield Road property and witnessed the interactions between customers and crafters and the small-town shop vibe. Having bought the property from out of the area, Gunasekera never experienced the market’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere firsthand.

He enjoyed it so much, he wanted to keep the space abuzz with rural commerce if he could get some people on board. Thus, Cross Roads officials did an about-face on their closure decision.

Due to a lack of new and young vendors, Cross Roads was put up for sale in November, with the offer from Gunasekera coming in around Black Friday. After word got out about Cross Roads’ sale, some — and eventually many — began to feel the market’s days were numbered.

OBSERVER File Photo. This photo was taken on what was supposed to be the closing day of the Cross Roads Farm and Craft Market on Dec. 17. A new owner, however, has decided to keep the market open for the 2017 season.

“They (thought) we’re done and over with,” explained Lynn Patterson, market director. “A lot of the vendors in there were looking forward to retiring because some of the people had been there — they were older women — they had been there for about 20 years, so they were ready to retire. A lot of them were kind of just excited to get out of Cross Roads, and since it was a co-op, they had to stay. They had ownership in it. So, that was the big thing that kept them all there all these years.”

When Gunasekera made it clear he wanted to keep the market open, some of the staple vendors joined him in his efforts. That included Fudge & Stuff, Merritt Winery, Peaceful Designs, Gypsy’s Trinkets Jewelry and Blanche’s Goodie Garden.

Gunasekera also approached Patterson — who assisted in promoting the market last year — to help him relaunch the local “mall-ternative.”

Patterson reported the first building is nearly full when it comes to vendors’ reserved spaces. The goal is to offer more variety for customers. Two mediums will be there all season long. There will also be clothing vendors and a new restaurant, in addition to maple products, pottery, jams, cheese, olives, art and wood products.

“It’s going to be really great, I think,” Patterson remarked. “We’re always open to taking anybody outside at any time. You can set up a tent and sell whatever. It’s turning into a nice little project and we’re excited to open. Our vendors will be moving into their new spaces on April 29.”

Gunasekera also seeks to integrate more of the Westfield community into the market. An adoption event with the Northern Chautauqua Canine Rescue is in the works, as well as some soccer games with the Westfield Recreation Department. Fundraisers are being welcomed with open arms, as well.

“Cross Roads was great as it was (before); it sustained almost 20 years on its own,” Patterson pointed out. “We just want to bring more variety in. We want to have things for kids to do, kind of moving forward, and make it more of a family destination — more than just shopping.”

The market’s opening day for its 20th season is May 20. The season runs through Dec. 23. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Prospective vendors and event organizers may email CrossRoadsFarmandCraftMarket@gmail.com for information on selling at Cross Roads or hosting a fundraiser.

The market is located at 6017 Sherman-Westfield Road in Westfield.

Email: gfox@observertoday.com. Twitter: @gfoxnews

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