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The Shoppes at East Wind opened in Wading River.

The Shoppes at East Wind, the 28-store shopping plaza next to the catering hall of the same name, opened in Wading River this year.

The attractive, manicured 27-acre property offers destination businesses and specialty stores for day-trippers and tourists, as well as locals. A specialty cheese chop, a children’s sewing studio and a colorful carousel are among the complex’s highlights.

“My vision was to create a destination where the local community and guests of the inn could enjoy shopping at local artisans, boutique shops and eateries,” owner Kenn Barra told us a few months before the opening.

Cheese and Spice Market, which is owned and operated by Wading River resident Patty Kaczmarczyk, was one of the first new stores to open in October. There visitors can find an ample selection of cheese behind the counter. Expect everything from raw Jersey cow milk cheese made by Vermont producer Consider Bardwell and Paski Sir sheep cheese from Croatia.

At nearby Little Miss Sew It All — with a zebra print carpet, candy-pink walls and to-go sewing kits dubbed “chopped sewey” — sewing classes are offered to children ages 6 to 16.

But it’s the indoor carousel, which features 3,000 lightbulbs and 30 carved wooden animals, that is the center’s standout.

Stores like Tweets Ice Cream Café and specialty oil and vinegar store The Crushed Olive were also among the original businesses. Expect Brezza Pizza Kitchen and Ruggero’s Italian Restaurant to open soon.

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