Downtown Kalona was busy over the weekend with the first Farmers’ Market of the season on Saturday hosted by the Kalona Chamber of Commerce.

The market was Mother’s Day themed and included vendors selling a variety of items including crafts, baked goods, pasta and clothing. The Kalona Volunteer Fire Department had a truck on-site for children to see, while Banjoy provided live music for the event.

Kalona Chamber of Commerce Director Tonia Poole described the impact that events like the farmers’ market have on local businesses, “When people come to a community, they don’t just make one stop. They tend to explore and see that there are other things that they may not have found otherwise. Whether they stop into extra stores because they already came this far, they might pop in, or they might add it to their to-do list for another trip.”

Poole said that the market had a full slate of vendors for the first week and noted that vendors will change as the season moves on, with craft booths tending to transition toward produce as it becomes available through the summer months.

To hear more from Poole about the event and upcoming Chamber events, listen to Tuesday’s In Touch With Southeast Iowa Program.