BRATTLEBORO — Barbara Guerino hopes community members love the Cotton Mill's December open studio and holiday sale as much as she does.
According to Guerino, who is part of Buddy's: A Pet Store with her son Michael, the open house that has run for more than 20 years is in danger of ending.
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“This event will be cancelled unless people step forward,” she said. “This thing is not going to run without people stepping up - it has to be a collective effort.”
Last year, the Cotton Mill open house celebrated its 20th anniversary. According to the event website, the three-day extravaganza included artists, vendors, and performers from both the Cotton Mill and the community. Approximately 300 people would visit the Cotton Mill each day during the event.
“It's no longer just an event for Cotton Mill people, it's really a community event,” she said.
This summer, however, Guerino learned that the volunteer-run committee that produces the event, Cotton Mill Arts, decided to cancel the open house.
Guerino views the open house as the “only collective community event” for the surrounding region during the holiday season. The three days are also one of the few times when the public is encouraged to roam the building freely and potentially discover new businesses.
It's an important shot-in-the-arm for all the businesses, but especially the small start-ups, Guerino said, “which is really important for these little struggling businesses.” She added that the community must know that it would lose a real asset if the open house dies.
Guerino and a few other interested business owners are trying to build a working committee to revive this year's open house.
Volunteers, vendors, performers, and other interested community members (both those whose are part of the Cotton Mill and the wider community) are invited to attend an organizational meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m., in the second floor community meeting room at the Cotton Mill, across from the Vermont Jazz Center.
To learn more, email buddysapetsstore@gmail.com.