The Windmill Farm and Craft Market in Penn Yan is the place for all things food, crafts, clothing, and entertainment.
Located along NY-14A in Penn Yan, The Windmill is open all Summer long and into the Fall until the last weekend of November. There’s so much to enjoy from the live music to the homemade and fresh food, as well as admiring all the products at the arts and crafts markets.
The Windmill Farm and Craft Market in Penn Yan has everything you need
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“We’re really a concentration of everything that you used to find in downtowns,” says Steve Wilson, The Windmill Operations Manager
The Windmill started as a small market in the 1980s with Bill Gunderman and his family. They were inspired by the Green Dragon in Ephrata, Pennslyvania and with the major Mennonite community in Penn Yan, they wanted to build something similar of their own.
“They organized together, started out with just 20 or 30 merchants and tents and one building, and that grew and developed over the years to what’s now a 40-acre campus and 175 unique storefronts,” said Steve Wilson, The Windmill’s Operations Manager.
Wilson said that most people come to The Windmill to experience the food because of the fresh produce from local farmers.
“We have some really great cooks here, that put out a variety of food from some exceptionally good barbecue to great salads, and lighter fare and pasta dishes and just great sandwiches, and so forth.”
Not only is the food great, but The Windmill has a large variety of different arts and crafts merchants who come from not only the Finger Lakes Area but Pennsylvania, Syracuse, and Buffalo.
“Then we have that segment of merchants that are craft people. These folks do anything from leather to wood to metal to find quality furniture, art, and fiber. Almost nearly every Saturday we have music here that you can come and have something to eat and get some entertainment.”
“This is just an absolutely wonderful place to be,” says Sharon Hobbie, Owner of “Not The Same Ole Grind” shop
Sharon Hobbie is The Windmill Office Administrator and Secretary and she also owns her own coffee business at the market called, “Not The Same Ole Grind.”
“Not The Same Ole Grind,” was an established business at The Windmill that wanted to retire and sell the business, and Hobbie saved it by purchasing it last Fall.
“I get coffees from three local Finger Lakes roasters, Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters out of Penn Yan, Masters Touch out of Penn Yan, and Seneca Sunrise out of Watkins Glen. I carry teas loose leaf teas and spices,” said Hobbie.
“My favorite part probably is the customers obviously. They make the business really. When I get repeat customers or I get a testimonial from one of them saying how much they love my product, it’s just a good feeling.”
The Windmill’s Fall events are fast approaching
On September 24, The Windmill has a Fall Car Show as well as their annual Fall Festival on October the 8th and October the 10th.
“It’s two days of fall activities, face painting, pumpkin painting, dancing, which is there’ll be all sorts of things going on over that weekend,” said Wilson.
Then at the end of the season, they have their customer appreciation days and give away tons of prizes through drawings.
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