Dawn Mattox got up early on Saturday morning. She leashed up her pup, Rue, and in short order, dashed off to the Cedar Falls Farmers Market, which opened today, May 3, for a chance to get a plant and her favorite sweets.
So did Henry Castle, but for a different reason. Like all the vendors at the market, the Cedar Falls kid entrepreneur got there much, much earlier. With help from his dad, Wayne, he set up his tent for Henry’s business, “The Little Cookie Bakery.”
Within the first hour and a half of opening, Henry’s cookie’s disappeared and a sold out sign greeted customers who came later.
The 15-year-old baker had set aside a couple of prepaid packages, but the rest was gone. (Read Henry’s story in our Cedar Falls Farmers Market Feature).
The speed with which goods flew off Henry’s table and the rest of the stands at the market signaled the release of the pent-up human energy which pulsed along the street on Saturday morning, the kickoff for the season.
With the dreary winter in the rearview mirror, the streets around Overman Park downtown, where the market is located, burst out in vibrant colors, layered with popcorn aroma and craved foods.
The joy of the season slowly elbowed out the temperatures, which hovered on the cool side in the morning despite the umbrella of clouds.
The Cedar Falls Farmers Market shines as a gathering place of talents, entrepreneurship and catching up with friends and fellow vendors.
It is also a place were pups parade their owners and fill the atmosphere with playful presence. Today, Katelyn Bakker brought her four-legged companion, Reece, to the farmers market to help celebrate a friend’s birthday. Likewise, John Halderson took his 4-year-old Bernese Mountain dog, Edna Mae, to the market as part of their tradition to give her a chance to socialize with other pets.
Anticipated by shoppers who had waited for months for a bite of a blueberry scone or pastry one can only find here or the sight of dahlias and the distinct smell of fresh garlic on the stands, the market this year features 42 vendors.
Among them was Rhonda Thompson, and her granddaughter, Luka Redding, 10. The owner of Cottage Bakes, Rhonda kept cutting pieces of sourdough bread for customers to taste.
“Our samples are really big,” she laughed.
Not far from her, on the opposite side of the street, Mickey Johnson, of Lost Loon Studio, displayed her jewelry and knitted work she had made over the winter.
“I like to keep my hands busy,” she said.
Intrigued by her work, Ariana Janis, a UNI art student, and her sister, Trinity, along with a friend, stopped by to take a look at the necklaces.
Further down, Jim Fitkin, a local farmer who had been coming to the farmers market for a quarter of a century, popped corn as wife Debbie helped customers. The aroma warmed up the street and tickled nostrils with childhood memories.
“I’ve been busy planting corn and beans and cereal rye,” Jim said as he emptied a sample of popcorn into a bag. “But this morning, I got here to do this.”
At the nearby Paha Cider tent, Mark Westbrock and his daughter, Robin, were ready to help those interested in the produce of their Solstice Farm.
Families with young kids, college students, newcomers and regulars milled around and enjoyed the morning.
Near City Hall, food and coffee trucks offered their fare as customers lined up for craveable bites and sips. At the La Calle food truck, which offers Latin American cuisine, Katie Simpson ordered her favorite food, cachapa. Nearby at Cottonwood Canyon’s food truck, owners Randolph and Brooke Bryan barely kept pace with the hectic orders. At the corner of City Hall, mother- and daughter-duo, Jessica and Madi Brogan, worked in tandem to move the line out front forward.
All the joy of the coming summer blossoms right here, at the market where the buzz never stops.
For Cora Letz, from Texas, who was visiting her friend, Hilda Osbty, starting the weekend at the farmers market, was a treat in itself.
“The farmers market is always a special place,” she said. “We couldn’t find parking even though we came so early.”