LocalFest at the Shirt Factory: Showcasing Manufacturing in Glens Falls

There are a lot of local artisans in the Glens Falls area and many of them have one thing in common: they call the Shirt Factory home.

The historic Shirt Factory, located at 71 Lawrence Street, is home to more than 90 local artists, retail shops and service providers.  If you have ever visited the Shirt Factory and stood outside of the massive four-story structure, you must have wondered about the history of the space. The Shirt Factory was once home to the McMullen-Leavens Shirt Company, one of the nation’s leading shirt and dress manufacturers.  The factory employed hundreds of people from the early 1900’s and still operated up until 1996.

The huge old factory building is now owned by Erik Unkauf, an entrepreneur who rents to artists and small businesses by the square foot, and adapts the space as needed by the different vendors.  The factory offers a variety of businesses such as pottery studios, yoga, photography, jewelry making, glass works and printing companies.  If you are ever looking for a unique gift for a special person in your life, the Shirt Factory will be your first and last stop.  I love to give items and use services that I can proudly say are different and made locally.  Here are my favorites:

• ​KFanciullo Photography- Kimberlie Fanciullo specializes in various aspects of family photography, including maternity, newborn, children and cake smash sessions. 
• Pottery by Debbie D- Debbie Davidson offers private pottery lessons and well as her finish work for sale in a nice, sunny space.
• Dickinson Delights- This is a great spot for lunch with offerings such as sandwiches, salads and their delicious crepes.  There is even a space for cooking and baking classes!

Now that I have your attention, you are probably wondering when would be a good time to go visit and explore the Shirt Factory.  Let’s talk about LocalFest!

​Localfest is a yearly event celebrating those companies and organizations that form the foundation of our community.  This year the daylong event (held from 10am-5pm) has been moved to Saturday, September 26th to closer coincide with Manufacturing Day℠, a national program that recognizes and promotes manufactures, large and small, and their contributions to our community. Manufacturing Day is celebrated on the first Friday of October each year.  Admission is free and many spaces within the Shirt Factory will be open, some providing free lessons and demonstrations. 

The court yard in front of the building will have bounce houses, pony rides, craft beverages, Stewart’s ice cream, fire trucks, wildlife animal rescue, craft vendors, food and live music.  While admission is free, some activities may have a small charge.

Several local manufacturers will also have booths.  Come learn about modern manufacturing facilities; learn what the local companies make and who their customers are.  Attendees can also learn what kinds of careers are available, and what skills and education are needed to qualify for today’s manufacturing careers. In addition BOCES will showcase courses for adult continuing education as well as trade offerings for students.

So does your support matter? Here are some statistics (as shared to me by Eric Unkauf) about doing business locally:

• Shop local: On average 45% of every dollar spent with a local independent retailer is returned to the local economy compared to 17% spent at a chain retailer.
• Eat local: On average 65% of every dollar spent at a local independent restaurant is returned to the local economy compared with 30% spent with a chain restaurant.
• Local independent businesses are more likely to buy services from local providers.  The money they spend supports other businesses in our area and help to build our community. On average local business donate a higher percentage of sales to local non-profits, events and teams then chain owned business.

As you can see, doing business locally is a wise choice all around.  Come enjoy LocalFest at the Shirt Factory on Saturday, September 26^th.  I hope to see you there!

Blog Post Written by Nicole Casey

Nicole lives in South Glens Falls with her husband Jeff and daughter Genevieve.  She is currently the Human Resources Generalist and Community Relations Manager for Warren Washington Association for Mental Health.  Nicole has a passion for animals, food and the performing arts.  She loves to spend her free time with her family exploring the area and taking advantage of all of the great things to do!