When I called Caitlin Krumm to ask her about Discover Kenmore 2021, I had no idea how much information she was going to share with me. Caitlin recently joined the board of the Kenmore Business Association, so needless to say, she’s very excited about the Village. In fact, she’s so excited about the Village that she just relocated her own art studio from the Ellicott Square Building into a building that once housed Miss Josie’s Antiques (she and her husband, Chris Ring, purchased the 2824 Delaware Avenue in 2019). Aside from opening her own studio – Finishing Touches by Caitlin Krumm – Caitlin is looking for a second tenant to occupy the storefront (from 400 sf to 800 sf – there’s also a beautiful courtyard in back.) She’s told me that she and Chris are looking at their recent building purchase as a “community investment that is perfect for Kenmore.” To that end, they’ve already remodeled the interior and painted the building.
She added that there is a real DIY art and artist/artisan movement in Kenmore, as a series of new studios have popped up, including Hammer & Stain, Board & Brush, and Terra Clay. Most of these DIY studios will be participating in the Discover Kenmore festival, which is considered a testament to the strength and solidarity of Village of Kenmore these days. “The event has changed over the years, in a good way,” Caitlin told me. “Aside from having a lot of Kenmore mom ‘n’ pop shops, there will be a number of small Buffalo-based artisans, food stand operators, start-ups, and small business owners from all over the region. So far, we have over 50 10’x10′ booths filled, and we’re looking for 15 more participants. The street (Delaware Avenue) will be closed from Lasalle Avenue to Victoria Boulevard.”
“In 2008 Discover Kenmore was a sidewalk ‘walk’ down Delaware Avenue,” said Caitlin. “And then years later grew to the 10×10 pop up tents in the street (this year will be tables) – the event loves encouraging new vendors to come see what Kenmore is all about, and for vendors without storefronts to show them a little peek at the community.”
Table categories at Discover Kenmore include include jewelry & accessories, DIY & homemade, food, ceramics, art, candles, clothing design & fashion, bath & body, illustration & design, pottery, woodworking, photography and glassware. Aside from the pop-up aspect of the event, there are plenty of new brick & mortar shops to browse, which many people might not be familiar with, such as Mojo Market (breakfast and lunch, with a market and pick-up window, breads, soups, pickled items, spotlighting locally sourced goods and ingredients), Mike & Pop’s (brunch, lunch, and dinner), Laundromutt, Eat Rite Foods (meal prep)… as well as other tried and true favorites. Not to mention the Sunday farmer’s market that has been a big post-pandemic success.
Caitlin mentioned that Discover Kenmore is “the perfect family day.” And she should know. She and Chris are not only new investors in Kenmore, they are also proud new parents. Kenmore has always had a family-friendly vibe about it, but I have a feeling that it’s about to get “family-friendlier.” Come see for yourself on Saturday, July 31, from 10am to 4pm.