KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
The 56th annual Blue Springs Fall Fun Fest kicks off today, transforming Main Street into a bustling marketplace that could provide a crucial boost for local small businesses.
The three-day festival, running through Sunday, will bring approximately 70,000 visitors to see 175 vendors along Blue Springs Main Street. While the event helps many nonprofit groups sustain themselves throughout the year, it also serves as a significant opportunity for small businesses to expand their customer base.
Read and Rooted, a local bookstore and plant shop, is preparing for its second year at the festival. Owner Kassie Utt, who lives in Blue Springs, used last year's event to introduce her business to the community.
"It brings a lot of new traffic to us. So last year, especially with it being our first one, there's a lot of people that didn't know we were here yet brought us a lot of repeat customers. Is a long weekend, we see a lot of new faces, which is amazing, and a lot of that has been returned after the weekend's over," Utt said.
The festival runs Friday through Sunday, with Main Street closed to traffic and lined with vendor booths. Among this year's participants is Olive and Clay Creative Co., which will use its booth to lead customers into its new storefront.
"This is our first year, so we're really excited. We have candles, bags, we make t-shirts. We're doing the permanent welded jewelry, so that's really exciting," Kirstin Henriquez said.
Henriquez, owner of the permanent jewelry store, hopes to make a lasting impression on Main Street visitors.
"Being on Main Street has been really beneficial for us because we've gotten to just see more regulars and have more consistent relationships with the customers in this area. And that's been really fun," Henriquez said.
The festival opens at noon and continues until Sunday at 4 p.m. Saturday morning features a parade, and the weekend includes a carnival, dog garden, youth market, live music and other family-friendly activities.
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