Summer is sizzling with a great selection of free live music events in our area — a few of them happen in and around our welcoming rustic showrooms. What better way to enjoy a relaxing power browse or take advantage of our ongoing sales? Stop by to enjoy the music and the savings!
Americana and 60s Rock
Don’t miss Little Sparrow playing Americana, 60s rock, bluegrass, country and jazz at our Milford showroom during the annual Milford Music Festival.
Little Sparrow
Saturday, June 24
1 to 4 pm
321 Water Street (Route 2001)
Little Sparrow has been performing in the Upper Delaware River region since 2008. The band is comprised of Aldo Troiani on mandolin, guitar and vocals; Carol Smith on guitar and vocals; and Lester Wilson on bass. They recently added Jay Ganz on Peal Steel guitar; Van Manakas on fiddle and guitar; and Mike Cervone on drums.
Homegrown Music and Arts
Enjoy a delightful day of live music and crafts just down the street from our Honesdale showroom.
Roots & Rhythm Festival
Saturday, June 17
Central Park
1:30 to 9:00 pm
Van Gorders’ Furniture partnered with the Black Bear Film Festival (BBFF) to host a reception for renewing and new members of BBFF’s Patrons Den on Sunday, January 22 in our Milford, PA showroom at 321 Water Street (Route 2001).
Scott Van Gorder chats with Milford resident Kathryn Jung about our commitment to the Black Bear Film Festival and the community at large.
“As a local business in Pike and Wayne counties,” said Scott Van Gorder, “we value the importance of Black Bear and other cultural institutions. The festival, its patrons and its sponsors are good for our business and good for our communities.”
Now in its 18th year, The Black Bear Film Festival is held every fall in Pike County, PA. Its mission is to support and promote innovative, independent films.
Guests at the reception in our Milford furniture showroom enjoyed wine, cheese, coffee, and treats as BBFF’s Bob Keiber previewed some of the film festival’s 2017 initiatives. He highlighted the return of BBFF’s Schools Partnership Initiative, which was launched last year with more than 12 student films showcased during festival weekend.
Black Bear Film Festival 2017
Bob Keiber informs Patrons Den Members of new Black Bear initiatives.
Leading up to the 2017 film festival, slated for October 20 through 22 in Milford, BBFF will provide films, events, workshops and programs throughout the year.
“We’ll always remain focused on the October festival weekend,” said Keiber, “but as we form partnerships with regional schools, merchants, and other community organizations, we all see the benefits of making Black Bear a year-round part of the community fabric.”
The Patrons Den membership club was launched last year by Barbara Buchanan and BBFF Board Member Will Voelkel as a means of welcoming festival patrons into a members’ club with benefits including previews, passes, special events and discounts.
With the bands booked and the stages being set, organizers of Milford Music Festival’s 15th annual event proudly announced their most music-filled weekend to date!
From June 24th to the 26th there will be more than 60 musical acts in 30 different venues throughout the town of Milford Pennsylvania, and it’s all free and family-friendly.
As part of the festival, Van Gorders’ Furniture will present Little Sparrow performing at our Milford showroom, at 321 Water Street (Route 2001), on Saturday, June 25, from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. Stop by to hear some Americana 60s rock, bluegrass, country and jazz.
Little Sparrow
Little Sparrow has been performing in the Upper Delaware River region since 2008. The band is comprised of Aldo Troiani on mandolin, guitar and vocals; Carol Smith on guitar and vocals; and Lester Wilson on bass. They recently added Jay Ganz on Peal Steel guitar; Van Manakas on fiddle and guitar; and Mike Cervone on drums.
Over the years Little Sparrow has invited dozens of accomplished musicians to perform with them, including Thurman Barker, Ron Penska, Brewster Smith, Doug Rodgers, Lynn Reno, Chip Forelli, Sara Hulse, Jim Stickler, Jesse and Larry Kitzmiller, Ralph Housman, Herb Clay, Kurt Knuth, Fred Scholl, Barry Wiesenfeld, Steve Schwartz, Mike Cervone, Greg Fiske and Leroy Seals, and Dan Engvaldsen. Whether as guest musicians or emeritus players, all of these musicians have helped to define the band’s free spirited musical style.
Music Festival Highlights
Highlights of Milford Music Festival 2016 include Friday night’s performance in The Foundation Room of the Columns Museum, featuring 3 acts as varied as blues, folk, roots and indie rock. The free show starts at 7pm.
On Sunday morning, the Milford Farmers Market at The Grotto Restaurant will host garage rock artist Francie Moon followed by the kick-off to Music in the Park’s summer series in Ann St Park.
We love living near the wild and scenic Upper Delaware River! In fact, the unique rustic and lodge-style furnishings that you’ll find in Van Gorders’ three welcoming showrooms reflect the beauty and wildlife of the Upper Delaware Region.
Old Hickory is one of the rustic furniture brands found at Van Gorders’ Furniture.
One very special thing about the Upper Delaware River is its clean water, which supports a healthy ecosystem while providing gorgeous scenery and many recreational opportunities like fishing, swimming and boating.
We are so grateful for all that the river provides to people, animals and plants, and we recognize how important it is to keep its waters clean. This is one of the reasons our own Scott Van Gorder has been volunteering with our local land trust, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, for so many years. The Conservancy is dedicated to conserving the natural heritage and quality of life in the Upper Delaware River region in partnership with landowners and communities.
Clear Choices, Clean Water
One way that you can show your support for the clean water of the Upper Delaware River is by taking a quick and easy online pledge to help protect it — and other local lakes, rivers, and streams — from pollution.
To take the pledge, simply go to the website and choose one of four options:
Water Conservation
Volunteer Service
Native Plants
Lawn Fertilizer
Once you select your area of interest, click on Make a Difference, TAKE A PLEDGE and follow the prompts from there.
You can even view a cool map that shows how many of your friends and neighbors have taken the pledge, and the impact their actions are having on nearby rivers and streams.
Through June 27, 2016 every pledge will be entered to win an Old Town Heron 9′ kayak, generously donated by Alice’s Wonderland.
Pledge Today!
Clear Choices, Clean Water: My Delaware River is a cooperative effort among the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlands Conservancy, Pocono Heritage Land Trust, Pocono Environmental Education Center, and Brodhead Watershed Association.
Our Flagship showroom at the corner of Church & 6th Streets in Honesdale, PA.
Eighty years ago, Van Gorders’ Furniture began business as the Honesdale Furniture Exchange. Founder Ralph Van Gorder rented the bottom floor of the Jenkins Building on Honesdale’s Main Street in 1936 and placed an ad in the Wayne Independent saying he would buy anyone’s used furniture—“a single piece, an attic full or a house full.”
Today, our fourth-generation family-owned business sells new furniture, specializing in the finest American-made rustic home furnishings, as well as flooring and Sealy Posturepedic and Stearns & Foster mattresses. We have consistently grown and changed with the times, now serving the tri-state region with the Lake Region’s three largest furniture showrooms, located in Milford, Lake Wallenpaupack and Honesdale, PA.
80th Anniversary Facebook Contest
To celebrate our 80-year milestone, we’re awarding an $80 gift certificate every month in 2016 through a Facebook contest. Participants must “like” our page to earn a chance to win by correctly identifying various aspects of a photo we will post monthly on our Facebook page.
Check out our February winner as selected by our own Scott Mosher!
Decades before social media came into existence, Ralph Van Gorder began building a customer base the old fashioned way. Reflecting on Ralph’s business acumen, his son Don Van Gorder wrote, “I have always heard that the Dutch were avid merchants, so Dad evidently came into his calling naturally.”
It wasn’t long before Ralph realized the need to expand, and purchased a sprawling four-floor historic landmark in Honesdale, which we still use today. Originally the National Hotel, it has stood at the corner of Church and Sixth Streets since 1865.
Although the business survived the devastating flood of 1942, some artifacts, like its first ledger, are permanently stained with flood mud. The ledger reveals that the first customer bought a “Wash Boiler” for $1.00, to be paid within two weeks. The next was a “battery radio with speaker,” at a cost of $2.50—“to be worked out.”
Growing and Changing with the Times
Max, Greg, Derek (holding Jack), and Dylan Van Gorder.
As the business continued to grow, Don opened a modern second showroom on Route 6 at beautiful Lake Wallenpaupack, PA in 1978. His son Scott joined the business and brought a distinct focus on lodge- and Adirondack-style furnishings that reflect the natural beauty of the Pocono Mountains, Catskills and Delaware River Highlands.
Scott’s three sons Derek, Dylan and Max have since entered the business, and in October 2014 Van Gorders’ Furniture expanded into its third showroom in Milford, PA. “We have staying power, a unique product mix, and an honest approach to business,” explains Scott. Grandsons Greg and Jackson are already involved in sustaining the family reputation as a longtime community business with their winning personalities.
Our great team of staff members. Left to right: Jeff Beddoe, Darrell Lavoie, Casey Dmochowski, Scott Mosher, Sean Davis, and Joe Ayres.
Another factor contributing to our 80-year success story is our caring and knowledgeable professional staff—some of whom have been with us for more than 35 years—who provide excellent and dependable service to devoted customers. As in the early days, every team member is dedicated to providing an enjoyable and relaxing shopping adventure, which means being helpful without being pushy.
Today, Van Gorders’ Furniture is proud to serve the Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey regions as the fifth generation of Van Gorders learns the art and craft of a multi-generational family business.
A wintering bald eagle. Photo courtesy Sandy Long.
Majestic bald eagles are a spectacular sight in the Upper Delaware River region of the Pocono and Catskill Mountains.
Winter is one of the best times to view these amazing birds.
According to our local land trust, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, about 150-200 bald eagles migrate to our region during the winter months.
The eagles are seeking a reliable food source and undisturbed habitat. They come from northern locations where most waterways are now frozen solid.
Bald Eagles Along the Upper Delaware River
What makes our area so attractive to bald eagles is the open water on the Upper Delaware River and its tributaries, which are excellent sources of fresh fish.
Some bald eagles fly nearly 900 miles from their breeding grounds to spend the winter here, according to the Conservancy.
The Upper Delaware River region also features large stands of trees and expanses of protected lands that provide perches from which eagles can hunt.
Eagle Watching Excursions
The Conservancy offers a full line-up of guided eagle watching events on most Saturdays during January and February. Sign up soon as these popular excursions fill up quickly!
What’s also fun is the free annual Eagle Day set for Saturday, January 23, from 1:00 – 4:00 pm at the Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center, located just down Route 6 near our Lake Region showroom.
Eagle Day is fun for the whole family. It includes spectacular “Live Birds of Prey” demonstrations by Bill Streeter of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center, at 1:00pm and 3pm. There are also hands-on activities by Lacawac Sanctuary and many opportunities to learn about eagles and other native birds.
Bald Eagles at Van Gorders’ Furniture
There are plenty of eagle viewing opportunities near any of Van Gorders’ 3 welcoming rustic furniture showrooms in Honesdale, Milford or near Lake Wallenpaupack, PA. So, why not make a day trip for an eagle excursion and a relaxing shopping adventure.
One of our unique wooden wall hangings featuring bald eagles and a black bear.
At Van Gorders’ Furniture, our motto is Bring the Outdoors Inside! That means you’ll find plenty of unique rustic furnishings and accent pieces featuring bald eagles and many other beautiful animals like black bears and blue herons.
From carvings, to tables, to one-of-a-kind fabrics, each one will make your Lake Region home or retreat a reflection of nature’s beauty.
Visit one of our spacious showrooms today for a power browse! There’s never any pressure, just honest savings. Our experienced staff is ready to answer your questions or offer help only when you need it.
The holidays are right around the corner. Soon, it will be time for special gatherings and meals with family and friends!
Right now is the perfect time to spruce up your home with a new dining room table. At Van Gorders’ Furniture we carry quality American made brands like Country Value, Old Hickory and Green Gables.
And, we’ve got many dining room table options to fit your home décor, and your space.
Dining Room Tables – 3 Space Saving Tips
Here are 3 stylish and convenient space-saving options.
This beauty is handcrafted in the United States from reclaimed barnwood timbers.
Butterfly leaves are great for smaller spaces. The removable centerpiece can be placed at any time to accommodate a large group at your dining room table.
Drop leaf dining room tables feature end pieces that can be folded down to save space, or up to add more place settings.
Storage leaf tables help to protect your table leaves when not in use.
We also carry a selection of base options, some of which provide extra storage. Or, a lazy susan option for ease of serving your guests.
Dining Room Table Finishes
At Van Gorders’ Furniture you can choose from a variety of wood species, like barnwood, oak, hickory, chestnut, and even pine.
Look at the quality craftsmanship in this Green Gables chair.
One of our most popular dining room table styles is made of reclaimed barnwood timbers by Green Gables Furniture in Illinois. These finely crafted pieces are sturdy and stylish. Their form and function create a family heirloom to be loved for generations to come.
So stop by any of Van Gorders’ 3 big showrooms for a relaxing shopping adventure—in downtown Honesdale, historic Milford or at scenic Lake Wallenpaupack. There’s never any sales pressure, just a relaxing experience in our unique and welcoming showrooms.
Our experienced staff is ready to answer your questions or offer help only when you need it.
Plus, we’ve got a variety of great recliner options for you to choose from…
If you want to go big, we’ve got reclining loveseats and sofas, so the whole family can watch the big game.
For extreme comfort, try a power or lift recliner. Or, how about a massage recliner? It can really take the edge off when your team is having a bad week!
You can customize your selection with an array of fabrics or leather applications to fit your home décor or personal style.
Van Gorders’ Furniture has hundreds of recliners in stock and the lowest prices around. Test one out in our La-Z-Boy Comfort Studio in our Honesdale showroom.
Or stop by any of Van Gorders’ 3 big showrooms for a relaxing shopping adventure—in downtown Honesdale, historic Milford or at scenic Lake Wallenpaupack.
Little Sparrow
Little Sparrow has been performing in the Upper Delaware River region since 2008. The band is comprised of Aldo Troiani on mandolin, guitar and vocals; Carol Smith on guitar and vocals; and Lester Wilson on bass. They recently added Jay Ganz on Peal Steel guitar; Van Manakas on fiddle and guitar; and Mike Cervone on drums.
Van Gorders' Furniture Blog 