SHELBURNE — An area family has bought the former Strawberryfield antique shop at 1204 Mohawk Trail with plans to return the business to its previous identity.

Wife and husband Katelyn Choiniere and Todd Gerry Jr. got the keys in December and closed on the building on Jan. 15, hosting a soft opening at The Duck Pond earlier this month. They have planned a grand opening through Sunday.

“It’s very exciting,” Gerry said. “It’s even more exciting than the soft opening.”

Choiniere described the business as an antique and vendor marketplace with a wide variety of handmade gifts, crafts, antiques, gardening supplies and plants. She said she currently has 13 vendors and two consignors.

“I’ve always had a love for gardening and antiques,” Choiniere said, “and this was the place to combine my family and my love for those hobbies all in one place.”

Choiniere said the business will be run with the help of daughter Whitney, 7, and son Tristan, 8, as well as her father, Brian. Her family plans to hold a fishing derby for children in the summer, with rabbits on site for enjoyment.

“We have ducks in the pond. We really want it to be a destination for people, not just a place for antiques. There’s a lot to do,” she said. “We’re excited to be part of the growing vendor marketplace scene in the Franklin County area.”

Choiniere, who lives in Heath with her family, said she has been dreaming of owning a place like The Duck Pond for at least three years and she started talking with Strawberryfield owner Joyce Root before the pandemic struck.

Gerry, who owned Rusty Relics antique shop in Charlemont, said he was drawn to how cute the building is at 1204 Mohawk Trail, and so are customers.

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback,” he said. His company, Gerry Home Improvements, conducted all the renovation work on the building.

Gerry also mentioned he plans to hold antique vehicle “cruise nights” the first Friday of May, June, July, August and possibly September.

The Duck Pond will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. There will be food — including cheeseburgers for a donation — and raffles as part of a meet-the-vendors event Friday through Sunday, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.

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