Spring Fling Breathes Life into Downtown

FORT MADISON - The Spring Fling downtown event brings new faces and more open doors for businesses. This two-day event, May 15-16, includes drawings, sales, and grab bags for select participants.
Madeline Leake, the owner of The Colony Shop & Bridal Loft, hosts the event to showcase the stores in downtown Fort Madison. Leake’s store includes all ready-to-wear clothes, sizes 4-28, along with promenade and anything one might need for a wedding.
Leake said she hopes everyone gets out to visit the stores downtown. The Colony Shop & Bridal Loft has products inside and outside marked down.
“If participants come in and register, they get a grab bag; - everyone wins something,” she said. Across the street from Leake’s shop,
Under the Sun also has fun products to browse. A worker at Under the Sun, Mel Holtkamp, enjoys these events.
“I just like seeing the people out and about downtown! The weather is getting nice, it’s fun to see the ladies come in to browse and see what downtown has to offer,” Holtkamp said.
Sisters, Polly Falcon and Sue Mowbray, were found “impromptu spring flinging” at Bent Oak Books.
“This is an awesome bookstore. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a bookstore in this area. I’m glad we have one here, it’s cool,” Falcon said. Her sister Sue just moved to Iowa in March.

“I like it here, it’s a small town, it’s cozy.”
Bent Oak Book’s worker Jessy Nolan shared with guests details about the event and how to enter the drawing.
“It’s the joy of my life to work at this bookstore, and having community events like this is my favorite part of working here. I get to meet new people and talk more about books," Nolan said.
Pool 19 Plants and Records has new selections to browse through and enjoy. The owner, Heather Church, adds a fun spot to our town. “These weekends are so fun. Downtown gets busy, people are laughing and exploring, and there’s this feeling that everyone’s excited to be here. As a small business owner, that means everything,” said Church.
The Fort Madison Area Arts Association is hosting a “Starving Artists” sale during the Spring Fling event. Some selected local art is on sale, but there are a lot of exciting things to look forward to at the art center. Administrator Rick Grabowski encourages people to check out the Tri-State Quilt Guild Exhibition going on right now and to check out gifts for the upcoming Father’s Day.
“On May 29th, we are having a lunch a la art and many of the women who made these priceless quilts will get to talk about the creation of these pieces,” says Grabowski.
A newer business downtown, The Riverside Resale Shop, run by Tennielle Speer, is also participating.
“The Spring Fling is a reminder that our downtown Fort Madison is very alive and thriving!! There are so many amazing stores to accommodate anyone's needs, you just have to see for yourself!” she said.