Tucked away at 10761 Miller Road (the old Route 219) is one of the best-kept secrets in Springville, NY: Granny’s Boot Antiques. A mother/daughter owned business that will soon be celebrating its 50th anniversary, Granny’s Boot is also home to the Grevpode Gallery and the site of several different artisan festivals throughout the year. This fall, Granny’s Boot is hosting two harvest festivals: Saturday, Sept. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 15 - both from 111am-3pm. In the words of owner Deb Wilson, “The joy of our festivals is that we truly have something for everyone to enjoy!”
If the store’s unique outdoor art maze isn’t enough to draw your attention, its fun name certainly is. In England, a “boot” also refers to the trunk of a car. “Boot” sales are outdoor marketplaces where people sell items out of the trunk of their cars, such as antiques and household goods, similar to flea markets or garage sales in the United States. According to Wilson, there are two “grannies” that the name refers to: Wilson and her mother, the first Granny who opened the store’s original location in Chatham, Ontario in 1967. Wilson and her mother live in Ontario throughout the week where they oversee the Ontario location (now in Vineland), and during the weekends, they live in Springville, where they have been operating this location for six years.
Wilson’s mother, who has been an artist for seven decades, is one of the artists whose work is on display in the Springville location’s Grevpode Gallery. The name “Grevpode” is a combination of the names of all the artists whose work is on display: Grevpode has two artists in residence plus four other artists whose work makes up the store’s unique gallery. In Wilson’s words, “We’re not your typical four-white-walls gallery with a few pieces of artwork.” Rather, the gallery has around 900 pieces of folk art, plus the outdoor art maze that visitors are welcome to explore!
The 100-year-old-barn located on the four-acre Springville property contains three floors of antiques, an incredible inventory that is owned solely by Wilson and her mother. “We call it a unique selection of antiques,” explained Wilson, “because we like to have items that most people have never seen before. Our eclectic collection isn’t what you would find in other antique stores.” Weekends are a great time to explore Granny’s great selection of art and antiques: the Springville location is open Fridays from noon-4pm and Saturdays from 10am-3pm. However, Wilson says that “as long as the gate is open,” visitors are welcome!
Six times a year, the property is opened for festivals: two festivals in May, and a festival once a month from June through October. “This is the first year that we’ve had six festivals, as we’ve always had the Pioneer Festival in May where we have spinners, weavers, and butter-making,” explained Wilson. Wilson, who co-chairs the festivals along with local artist Mary Dallas, said the five other festivals are themed; the harvest theme of September’s and October’s festivals includes a farmer’s market at both festivals.
Each festival features the work of ten to twenty vendors and artisans from basket-makers to soap-makers to alpaca farm owners. Live music, food, and a history/educational portion for children are also incorporated in each event. Wilson explained that at each one of their family and pet-friendly festivals, a booth spot is given to a non-profit organization, such as the Boys and Girls Club, dog rescues, and other charitable groups, to highlight the work of that organization and provide an opportunity to raise money through fundraisers like raffles. For information about Granny’s Boot’s festivals visit www.tmemfestivals.com. Interested vendors are invited to participate in these semi-juried festivals by emailing tmem@vaxxine.com.
Wilson encourages our readers to visit Granny’s Boot Antiques’ website at www.grannysbootantiques.com and check out Granny’s Boot Antiques’ Facebook page. Visitors can call Granny’s Boot toll free at 1-877-211-0735 throughout the week, as this phone number is for both the Ontario and Springville locations. Wilson and her mother’s one-of-a-kind antique store is a must-see experience for anyone who appreciates antiques, art, and the outdoors. “At our May 21 festival, we even had a black bear cub ramble through the yard,” said Wilson. “You never know what you’re going to see at Granny’s Boot!”
