The first season of the Kalona Farmers Market is in the books and was classified as a success by Director Krista Hershberger. During Saturdays in September and October, Hershberger says they averaged 15 vendors each week and some 35 different vendors participated overall. Hershberger said she’s very pleased with the crowd sizes for the first year, “The first couple of markets especially; quite a few people came out; the weather was great, people were curious.”

Hershberger says the vendors all seemed pleased throughout the season with the crowds and and the market pulled people in from both the local community and also folks outside of Kalona. With the first-season success, Hershberger says she’d like to see the Kalona Farmers Market return in 2021, “What the schedule looks like I’m not sure, but we’re planning to take the winter to sit on it and think about it and see what it could look like next summer. I think there’s lots of potential there and I’d like to see it grow.”

Hershberger added that vendors who are interested for next year should reach out to the organization to stay in the loop.