We caught up with Kevin Hall this week! You might recognize him as the owner of Hallwear here in Glens Falls. He shares a bit of his family history in the city (his relatives include a former Glens Falls Mayor and Chief of Police!), his go-to pizza places, and some sweet memories from his downtown wedding…
Tell us about yourself!
Hello, my name is Kevin Hall. I’m the owner and operator of Hallwear in Glens Falls. Hallwear is a company that specializes in custom decorated items for schools, businesses, organizations, and anyone else that wants something with a logo, design, name, or number on it! We also have a retail shop in our store that sells all kinds of items, but mostly local school spirit gear, hoodies, t-shirts, hats, and more. In addition to operating Hallwear, I coach Varsity Track & Field as well as 7th Grade Football at Glens Falls School District. I live in Glens Falls with my wife, Sarah, my four year old son, George, and my dog, Charlie. I’m a huge sports fan and both of my jobs allow me to embrace that passion in unique ways.
On Life In Glens Falls
Although I was born in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, my family moved back here when I was three months old, and I have lived here ever since. My family has deep roots in this area. Both myself and my wife's family have lived in Glens Falls and the surrounding region since at least the late 1800s. My great-grandfather George Culver was the Chief of Police in Glens Falls from 1936-1944 and my father Dan Hall was recently the Mayor of Glens Falls from 2018-2022.
After I graduated with a degree in marketing from Binghamton University in 2007, I decided to move back home and work for my father temporarily while I decided what to do with my life. Well, 15 years later I’m still working at the same company (but for myself instead of for my father) and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.
In 2016, my wife and I bought a house in Glens Falls in a great neighborhood near the high school. My family lives less than a mile away, my wife’s parents are a five minute walk and her three siblings (and their families) all live within about a mile and half of us. I truly believe that there is no better place in the country to raise children. When my son was diagnosed with leukemia in April of 2020, the support that he received by the members of this community blew me away. My son is very fortunate to grow up in an area full of caring and giving individuals.
A Perfect Glens Falls Day
A perfect Glens Falls day would be for me to sleep for the entire day! Joking aside, I would start with a full-on sit-down breakfast with eggs and meat that would make Ron Swanson proud from any of the numerous breakfast places in town (maybe throw in some pancakes or waffles if I’m feeling extra hungry). After that I would accompany my son to one of the half dozen playgrounds he likes for some full contact playing, which would include a lot of swinging. Lunch would probably be pizza — I’m a huge pizza fan. Some of the places I frequent are Angelina’s, Talk of the Town, Mia Pizzeria, and Pizza Jerks. On Saturdays in the fall, I enjoy watching the Glens Falls varsity football team. There is a special kind of pride in seeing players I’ve coached as 7th graders grow into young adults and then take the field as varsity players. Dinner would have to be a nice medium rare steak either grilled by myself or anywhere downtown that we could walk to.
On the Past
Growing up here I have a ton of memories, but my favorite memory is a recent one. My wedding was an amazing Glens Falls day. Since my wife and I are both proud GF lifers, we wanted our special day to be in and around Glens Falls. We were married in a relatively short ceremony performed by the mayor at the time in front of the fountain in Crandall Park on a beautiful fall day.
After the ceremony, we had our reception at The Queensbury Hotel a few short weeks after they came under the new (and current) management. With all that goes into taking over a landmark hotel, the management and staff could have easily and understandably been overwhelmed and treated us as an afterthought but let me tell you, they did not. The entire crew at The Q took care of us and helped to make that day as special as it could possibly be. We danced through the night, ate great food, and drank probably a little more than we should have! We even ended our night downtown at The Bullpen with me in my tux and my wife in her wedding dress! I don’t think I would change anything about that perfect day.
On the Future
I have two ideas that I think, maybe selfishly, would improve Glens Falls. The first would be a BBQ joint that I don’t have to drive a while to get to and is open year-round. I’m a huge fan of BBQ and I think it would be different enough from the other restaurants downtown that it could thrive. I know year-round is not easy with our climate but a place like that would get my business at least weekly.
The second idea I stole from my wife. Our son was recently diagnosed with autism, and we would love a sensory play gym for him to run around in. Sensory gyms differ from other play places in that the equipment is specifically set up for kids that are neurodivergent, but other children would have just as much fun!
