Karla Rothstein and Salvatore Perry have renovated a 240,000 cotton mill on Route 2 near the North Adams / Williamstown line into a center for local food and events. They hold community dance parties — DJ BFG mixes the music — and they now house the Break Room coffee shop, a cocktail bar, a cidery, artist studios, the Railroad Street Artists Collective, 328North microfarm and Vietnamese cuisine and more.
GreylockWorks has worked with Bright Idea Brewery, Storey publishers, local musicians and spoken word poets. And twice a year the wide central hall, with its wood floors and tall windows, becomes an open market for local food and craft, artisans and artists.
They host mini Makers Markets, local music and events — and once or twice a year their holiday markets draw in artists and artisanal food producers from the Berkshires to Cape Cod to Brooklyn and Hudson, N.Y. They offer ceramics and jewelry, locally made chocolates and roasted coffee. The inaugural market in 2017 drew more than 2,000 visitors, Karla says, and since then the festival has brought new artisans into the region.
“We ask people who apply to tell some about their stories,” she told me, “and it’s been captivating.” She wants this space to grow roots as a place to meet makers, and a place for makers to meet each other.
