(HUDSON, N.Y.) –  The annual Basilica Farm & Flea, the Thanksgiving marketplace held at Basilica Hudson, created as an alternative to “Black Friday” culture by bringing together a collection of products from a diverse group of about 125 regional makers, farmers, chefs and vintage collectors, takes place over three days from Friday, November 27, through Sunday, November 29.

The event, a collaboration between Basilica Hudson and Hudson River Exchange, kicks off on Friday, November 27, with a market preview from 2 to 9pm and the Black Friday Soiree from 5 to 9pm, beginning the weekend with a focus on food and festivities including tastings of local cider and distilled spirits, live music, and an early opportunity to shop a wide selection of vendors before the main weekend commences.

The Basilica Farm & Flea marketplace takes place from Saturday, November 28, through Sunday, November 29, from 10am to 6pm both days. Visitors can shop handmade and vintage goods, eat deliciously prepared food, and attend educational workshops and cultural lectures. General admission for the whole weekend is $5 and free for children under 12.

The Basilica Farm & Flea is one of the biggest events of Basilica Hudson’s season. The 2014 iteration was overwhelmingly successful, drawing nearly 7,000 people to Hudson in one weekend. This, coupled with a record-breaking number of 2015 applications, portends that this year’s Farm & Flea will be even bigger and better. With 17,000 square feet of industrial interior space, this is the only market of its kind in the region.

Besides the history of the area, Hudson is increasingly being recognized as a destination for high-quality food, art, design, antiques and vintage. The town and its community of creatives has earned praise in American Craft Magazine, which stated that “Hudson is a melting pot of the American maker movement.” Event organizers are emboldened and inspired to showcase the best of what the Hudson Valley has to offer: farms, food, makers, collectors, and strong community.

Participating vendors are independent artists and designers or collectors of high quality vintage wares who espouse the “no bar code” ethos of Basilica Farm & Flea. Press has hailed the event as “the urban-chic-meets-new-rural extravaganza” and “a stellar shopping be-in” (Chronogram) and also said, “if Black Friday is synonymous with all that is wrong with capitalism, then the worthy antithesis to this unofficial sale-worshipping holiday is the Basilica Farm & Flea” (Cool Hunting).

Hudson River Exchange produces curated marketplaces and develops programming to cultivate and support the makers and collectors in and around Hudson. Bringing these creative entrepreneurs of diverse disciplines out of their individual studios, farms, and kitchens, the Exchange takes inspiration from its namesake river by bringing together people, ideas, and commerce.

Basilica Hudson is a newly incorporated and rapidly growing nonprofit multidisciplinary arts center in Hudson, supporting the creation, production and presentation of arts, culture and sustainable community. Founded in 2010 by musician Melissa Auf der Maur and filmmaker Tony Stone, Basilica Hudson makes its home in a solar powered, reclaimed 1880s industrial factory. Its broad range of programming includes annual weekend destination events such as Basilica SoundScape, Basilica Farm & Flea, and Ramp Fest. Additionally, Basilica Hudson presents weekly experimental film screenings, unconventional art events and community gatherings — all which invite visitors to discover the city of Hudson. Basilica Hudson forges experiences that aspire to the scale, grit and beauty of its surroundings.