Lily Valentine Antiques, a Mathews business since 2017, is moving from Main Street to a new location right around the corner, to 24 Church Street. A soft opening is planned for this Saturday, June 28.
Owner Becky Beckstoffer said she’ll continue to offer the antiques she has become known for, buying locally when available, but she’s also going to add retail sales of certain items. She’s starting off with a variety of off-premises wines and craft beers; some packaged food items such as chips, cookie mixes, jams, and jerky; Mathews-themed hats and T-shirts; and various household goods such as candles, wrapping paper, and greeting cards.
Also in the future are wine tastings, demonstrations by vineyards, and other events.
Beckstoffer said she had long wanted to expand, and when the 4,000-square-foot space that housed an A&P store in the 1930s went up for auction, she couldn’t resist.
For years, the building was divided into a rabbit warren of tiny offices, and Beckstoffer said the firs...