HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, New York (WABC) — A pop-up marketplace in Hastings-on-Hudson founded by a Latina jewelry maker is marking its fifth anniversary while providing a space for makers to showcase their products and connect with customers.
If you’re walking down Main Street in Hastings-on-Hudson, you may find a variety of handmade goods at Make Your Market, including candles, toys, lotions and glassware. The annual pop-up features 84 makers selected not only for their products, but also for the stories and communities behind them.
Melissa Panszi Riebe is the patron saint of makers. She’s like the small business fairy godmother.
PansziRiebe, a jewelry maker turned small business advocate and the owner of Make Your Market, said creating the space grew out of a community she found as a maker.
“It’s my happy place,” Panszi Riebe said.
During a conversation marking the market’s fifth anniversary, Panszi Riebe reflected on her early experiences.
“It wasn’t a space per se. It was a community. All I did with the store is I put a roof over it,” she said. “I always think of my younger self who felt it had to be hidden, and that I couldn’t say, oh, I’m Latino, or my dad’s from Mexico, or my… you know? And so, to be able to say it here and not just to say it by myself, because sometimes I was by myself saying that, but there’s a whole… like, it’s the norm here. We have, I mean, from different age groups, predominantly women and predominantly people underrepresented. It’s not necessarily about me, but it’s about the place,” she said.
Panszi Riebe said the market is centered on the makers themselves and the opportunity to see their products displayed for sale.
For some participants, the experience is a milestone.
“I started sewing these little finger puppets for my daughter when she was a baby, and it just kinda snowballed from there,” said Lauren Franklin, owner of FizzlePop Puppet Shop.
When asked what it is like to see her work in stores, Franklin said, “I still can’t believe it when somebody else shows interest in it and wants to buy it.”
Dora Witte, owner of Weelamond, said her products support artisans she works with on the Navajo reservation.
“I collaborated with Native American artisans at the Navajo reservation. The sales and support from this product go to fair pay at the reservation,” Witte said.
Keeshagaye Whitter, owner of Emollient, said her business grew from her search for alternatives after being diagnosed with eczema.
“I was diagnosed with eczema a few years ago, and I decided that I am not gonna take steroids and medications for the rest of my life. I am from Jamaica, and we are all about plants and herbs. So I went back into my foundation, and I started making products,” Whitter said.
Denesha McDonald, owner of Neesh Co., said participating in the market has been meaningful.
“This is such an exciting experience. My goal or one of my dreams is to have a boutique,” McDonald said.
The makers also praised Panszi Riebe’s efforts to support small businesses.
“Oh my gosh. I am so honored to be a part of a store that appreciates makers,” Whitter said.
“She’s always lifting people up and connecting people,” Franklin said.
“I’m really proud to be a part of this community,” Witte said.
McDonald said, “It’s nice to have someone who believes in your work. Like, obviously, we believe in it, but when you have someone else that clearly curated all these makers, it makes you believe in yourself on a different level.”
For Panszi Riebe, the mission of Make Your Market extends beyond the products on display.
“It’s about the people, and it’s about the people who walk in, and it’s about the people who are here, and it’s a connection. And it’s a place that we… there is good. I’m building a space where everyone can come together. It just is. That that, you know, diversity and being together, it just is. And we don’t have to define it. We don’t have to talk about it because this is what it’s like just to come together,” she said.
———-
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Download our connected TV app
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
