Every Sunday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., the Make It Up State Marketplace takes over Troy’s Riverfront Park. There’s everything from art and jewelry to food and coffee.
While market vendors continue to wear face masks, that could be changing soon.
“If we’re outside, I feel like we should have the opportunity to choose whether or not we want to wear a mask,” says Sarah Avery, owner of Earth to Mind.
What You Need To Know
- Troy hosts the Make It Up State marketplace every Sunday
- Vendors say for the most part, everyone is wearing a mask, but that could be changing soon if New York decides to fall in line with the CDC’s new mask guidance
- The CDC has said anyone who is vaccinated, indoors or outdoors, does not need to wear a mask
However, other vendors feel the opposite and think it’s too soon to get rid of the mask mandate.
“Not until we are kind of at herd immunity, which I don’t think we are yet, and I work with kids, and they’re not vaccinated,” says Leigh Berenis, co-owner of RomCom Candles.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has not yet decided if New York will fall in line with the CDC’s new mask guidelines, which states that anyone who is fully vaccinated, indoors or outdoors, does not have to wear a mask, except where required by federal, state and local law.
Right now under state guidance, if you’re fully vaccinated and outside alone or in a small gathering, you can take the mask off.
But farmer and vendor Dara Silbermann says these rules are a grey area.
“I think that a big issue with people complying with mask mandates is that they’re not really certain what the mandate is at any given time. Things are changing so quickly and we don’t really have a unified method of communication to get that information. So I think there are plenty of people who want to be compliant with whatever the rule is, they may just not know,” Silbermann said.
The governor says his office is still reviewing the CDC’s revised mask guidelines with the state health commissioner and health experts in surrounding states.
Erin Pihlaja, a founder of Make It Up State, said, "We are closely watching and reviewing COVID regulations and guidance, and will follow recommended protocols. As we said to our vendors in our weekly email, we are committed to the safety and comfort of everyone attending the market and will responsibly wear masks during operation of the market.'"