The Barn: RHONY’s Heather Thomson Leaves Her Mark

By Sean McAlindin

As you drive around a sweeping corner on Route 23 in Egremont, MA, it’s hiding quietly, right there. Known to locals simply as “The Barn,” this rustic, cozy venue (pictured above) is what mountain music is all about.

The inn, restaurant and music venue were purchased and renovated by Berkshires local Heather Thomson, the former star of The Real Housewives Of New York City. Now the Buttonball Inn, it’s a space you should feel to believe.

“We’re pouring a tremendous amount of love, money and effort into this,” Thomson says. “We know how special this is to everyone.”

Weed: Hudson High

With three dispensaries now open, the chic town is fast becoming Cannabis City.

By Sarah Carpenter-Peck

Pre-2024, Hudson’s canna-curious were accustomed to the near hour it takes on NY-23 to get to Great Barrington, MA, to stock up on recreational plant medicine. Just two years later and Hudson is halfway to competing with GB for dispensaries per capita with three new dispensaries recently opening.  

Gotham

The New York City cannabis concept store, founded by Joanne Wilson, chose Hudson as its first location beyond the bounds of its eponymous city, where it already runs a gaggle of popular “arts-and-culture-forward” adult-use shops. The Hudson space features an outdoor mural by Evan Paul English.
260 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 | gotham.nyc

Riverbend Dispensary

Rudy Huston, co-founder of Riverbend along with cannabis connoisseur Ed Glickman, has lived in Hudson for two decades. These guys are committed to selling quality product—in New York, there are no microbial safety limits on flower, so the duo has taken it upon themselves to implement their own limits.
531 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534 | riverbenddispensary.com

Goldleaf Cannabis

Just off Hudson’s main drag, this dispensary offers a wide selection with friendly service in a dark-minimal vibe complete with homey lighting and a couple of neon splashes of color.
235 Fairview Ave, Hudson, NY 12534 | goldleafcannabis.com

Breaking… Wait…Is Bigfoot Back?

Now we all know someone in the Sasquatch business.

There’s always been rich folklore surrounding the worn and rounded misty peaks of the ancient Appalachian Mountains. We all know someone who knows someone who definitely, maybe, saw the big, hairy mascot of the mountains. Bigfoot Researchers of the Hudson Valley, founded in 2012, is a paranormal research group dead set on solving one of the oldest mysteries in this neck of the woods. The group has been interviewed for several Bigfoot-focused television shows, including two new episodes from the online-only documentary show Small Town Monsters earlier this year. 

—Sarah Carpenter-Peck

Privé: There’s Something About (Upstate) Mary. Adults Only.

Better sex starts at the farm. Um, what?

By Abbe Aronson

The slogan alone—“Farm to Bedroom” (yes, it’s trademarked!)—makes me say “Yes! Yes! Yes!” but this woman-owned, plant-based sexual-wellness company from Woodstock, NY, is more than just juicy vibes. Founded by Melissa Eppard and Michelle Bergkamp to make intimacy better for every body, Upstate Mary’s collection of full-spectrum CBD lubes and suppositories are formulated with organic, all-natural ingredients to ease pain, increase blood flow and promote relaxation—an excellent recipe for better sex. Sourced entirely in the Hudson Valley, the line is popping up in health-centric retailers nationwide introducing shoppers to a fresh way to reclaim pleasure. Go on, treat yourself.

Happy Hour: Edesia = Elevated

Maier and Boye join forces.

After several collabs in the Hudson Valley wedding scene, Jeanette Maier (Fancy Girl Table) and Michelle Boye (Tapped Into The Catskills) wanted a meaningful connection, so they’ve joined forces at Edesia, a new food and beverage company that elevates events to artistry. Edesia is a one-stop feast for all parties that combines the sustainable, organic catering options that first put Fancy Girl on the map and the custom-built, vintage trailer-turned-mobile bar that is Tapped’s signature offering. Cool. 

—Abbe Aronson

Listen: Berkshires’ New Muse

Put Glori Wilder on your playlist. Now.

With a deeply sensitive voice, deftly expressive pen and uncommon poise, Glori Wilder is a homegrown, Berkshires folk talent worth slowing down for. You may someday be saying you saw her when…

—Sean McAlindin