Dec 14, 2020
ROSENDALE – As Main Street shops opened on the next to last Saturday before Christmas, Bill Brooks, a barber on the thoroughfare, still had some time to think about his gift-giving strategy this year.
“My girlfriend, if I don’t get her something,” he said, with a little bit of a laugh, “You know what will happen.”
Rosendale is a popular destination for festivals such as Frozendale, a winter event, and an international pickle festival Brooks started nearly a quarter century ago.
But the pandemic has stopped these gatherings, and now one of Brooks’ current quandaries rests with shopping local for Christmas or online.