Arts Fest 2024
- Kelsey Flot
- Jul 14, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 14, 2024
WOW! What a great day at Arts Fest Saturday, July 13th! It was a hot one, but that didn't stop people from coming downtown to join our fun. We had six crafting stations total for kids. Five were under canopies in the grass of the Parley Finch Plaza and one station under the awning East of the statue. Luckily, there was a nice little breeze flowing through the plaza so being under the canopies was quite pleasant.
The Kids Makers Market vendors were next to the crafting stations in the plaza. Paxton with Humboldt Parks and Recreation Department organized that portion of Arts Fest again this year. It's always amazing to see what kids put together to sell at the Kids Makers Market!
It was a busy, busy day for everyone. The Parley Finch Plaza was packed with fun. We had some awesome local businesses and organizations that hosted the kids crafts. Bank Iowa painted piggy banks. Humboldt Area Arts Council painted sea shells and made bubble wands. Nokomis Woodworking Club brought varying sizes of scrap pieces of wood and glue for the kids to make sculptures. Humboldt-Dakota City Kiwanis had Christmas in July crafts. Humboldt County Law Enforcement Center had squirt guns full of water and canvases to shoot at. Humboldt Carnegie Library was set up on the sidewalk East of the statue with a craft. I saw kids crafting at the library station from afar, but unfortunately missed what it was!
We had some local organizations set up at our market. Peace Creek Animal Sanctuary and Rescue was selling shirts and collecting donations, Moffitt Animal Shelter handed out dog food, and the Red Sand Project set up to educate and sell treats for donations! The Red Sand Project is a new (to us) organization educating on the reality of human trafficking in our area and working towards stopping it. It's scary to think about, but they work hard to shine a light on the awful and spread awareness.
It seems like we keep having a record breaking number of vendors at the Humboldt Farmer's Market! There always seems to be a couple who can't make it last minute, but it was still an amazing turnout. Kenny Steele was able to make it with his AMAZING produce! Deb with joco flowers wasn't going to be able to physically be there but had flowers ready, so Louise with Uptown Humboldt Mercantile was nice enough to sell for her! Ardys Mae Coffee and Dessert joined us for the second time this season. They have fresh made mini donuts, delicious espresso drinks, refreshers, dirty sodas, and ice cream treats with Dariette. It's been fun to have a food/coffee vendor at our market!
We had to block off the street to ensure everyone would be able to set up and sell safely. Our vendors were on the North sidewalk, in the street on the 600 block of Sumner Ave., and one in the plaza. Four vendors had trailers; Ardys Mae Coffee and Dessert, Fables & Folklore, Lofty Lou, and It's What We Do. We had them set up on the South side of the road and one blocking the East side of the road.
Our Vendors:
Arts Fest is the hardest for Sammi and I to put on. There's a lot of moving parts and a never ending list of things to do. I know it felt like pure chaos most of the morning. That being said, it's the most rewarding event we organize for the Humboldt Farmer's Market. We saw a lot of organizations and businesses come together to keep the creativity alive in our community!
This is only our second year running the Humboldt Farmer's Market. We've learned a lot in the last year and continue to learn at every market how to better organize and excecute our ideas! We're constantly thinking of how we can grow from here. Our little market has grown faster than we ever could've imagined. It's all thanks to our awesome community coming together and supporting each other!
We are 5 markets down and have 6 more left this season! This season has flown by. Next up:
That's right! The Humboldt County Fair will be going on, so we'll be moving the market to the fairgrounds (Saturday, July 27th)! We'll have Cracked Reeds as a musical guest, local vendors to shop from, and kids' activity! Follow our Facebook page @HumboldtIAFarmersMarket to stay up-to-date with details and events!
Until then stay safe, be kind and we'll talk soon!
-Kelsey Flot
Note:
All photos provided by 2View Photo & Design. Downloading is allowed. Any publications must provide credit.
Comments