Eventful Eastdale Village
Speaking with Daffodils Gift Shoppe Owner, Lynn Varuzzo, About The Culture of Up and Coming Eastdale Village.
Eastdale Village is the newest community space bringing a new feeling to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Lynn Varuzzo, owner and operator of Daffodils Gift Shoppe, puts it best.
“There’s a certain hip vibe to Eastdale Village, especially with the variety of young, new businesses and all that Eastdale offers. But for me, having lived in this area my whole life, I especially love the small town feel it offers. Our customers become our friends and their families know us by name. That’s what ultimately sets Eastdale Village apart.”
Her store, Daffodils Gift Shoppe, brings creative color to the Eastdale community. With exciting attention to detail and an innovative product selection, Daffodils Gift Shoppe offers consumers a new haven for fashion and function in the Hudson Valley.
Varuzzo says, “We carry popular name brands like Brighton, T. Jazelle, Pura Vida, eNewton, Chloe + Lois to name a few but I also love to find unique lines like Girls Crew and Leslie Curtis for our more trendy customers. In addition to jewelry and accessories, we’re known for baby and plush. We also carry cozy throws and slippers, the popular Barefoot Dreams brand and an inviting collection of goods and décor to charm wherever you call home.”
What started as an outlet for expression and creativity became a two store operation that spans across the Hudson Valley growing imagination and happiness with each purchase. When Varruzo happened upon the construction in Eastdale, she knew that she had to be involved in the up and coming community.
Varruzo says, “I opened Daffodils Gift Shoppe in 2018 in my home town of Pleasant Valley. Our business grew quickly, even through the Covid pandemic, and when space became available in Eastdale Village, I knew I wanted to be a part of it; so much so that we purchased our building.”
Easdale offered something different for Varuzzo. While she saw the vision right from the beginning, she has been equally excited everytime the Eastdale community continues to innovate and surprise her. One way that Eastdale stands apart is their emphasis on community events.
Varuzzo says, “People are shopping for experiences and Eastdale Village delivers. Whether it’s monthly live music, pop-ups or car shows, the people of the Hudson Valley have a new place to go. Rumor has it there will soon be country line-dancing on Cottage Square!”
With the constant work put into events by the Eastdale community, Varuzzo has kept the same motivation inside the Daffofil’s store. She says, “We offer live events at Daffodils too. We’ve hosted trunk shows and amazing giveaways, but one of our most fun events was our My Drink Bomb taste testing event we did with the creator of Chloe+Lois, complete with Hudson Valley GIF booth for selfies! That was a blast and we’re planning many more.”
Keep an eye out for even more events and community experiences in The Eastdale Village, because there are sure to be many more!
