Driving down rural roads day after day, delivering the mail, causes you to notice niche things about each piece of land as it goes by. Committee member for the Nitty Gritty Antiques Festival Tom Redding does just this. As he drove through the soybean and corn fields in rural Iowa, he noticed a retro similarity between most farms. Many had a vintage tractor.
This realization created the newest addition to the Nitty Gritty Antiques Festival, formerly the Fourth of July Antiques Extravaganza, the tractor show. The show will display vintage tractors from farmers and collectors around Iowa. Karrie Clark, the chair of the Nitty Gritty committee, says there will be 10-13 tractors this year and believes that number will grow each following year.
The other new addition to the Nitty Gritty is new types of handmade items that can be purchased at the festival. The items are made by many local residents, as well as some from Des Moines.
“We have a person that makes blankets, someone who makes beautiful benches and outdoor furniture to name a few,” Clark said. “It’s expanded the variety of things available for people to shop for.”
First Street in uptown Mount Vernon will shut down to support the Nitty Gritty Antiques Festival. In what has become an annual Fourth of July tradition for Mount Vernon, the Nitty Gritty will act as the foundation for the celebration of Independence Day.
Over 70 vendor booths will be in attendance for people to stop by while walking through the open-air market. The festival will feature many local favorites, as well as some other Eastern Iowa staples. Clark said that there will even be a vendor from Missouri making the trip for the festival.
The event is meant to celebrate the collectors in the area, offering them a chance to showcase and sell their vintage, agricultural, repurposed, industrial, primitive, retro pieces, collectibles, and antiques. The aim is to have a little bit of something for everyone who attends.
The event has remained popular with antique lovers and brings a wide variety of antiques and items to uptown Mount Vernon. The festival will go on, rain or shine, July 4, with many uptown businesses also open during the festival day.
Nitty Gritty Antique festival has new addition
Joel Kellar
[email protected]
June 27, 2024