Fairfield game store offers community

Long before they were married, Patrick and Kate Hetland first met in a game shop in Fairfield.

That store eventually closed, as did the next establishment of its type, years later. In December of 2020, the two set out to fill the town’s hobby-store-shaped void with only $3,000 of product, a storefront on Burlington Avenue, and a dream.

“We had like, four boxes of Magic cards, some (card) sleeves and a few dice, and almost nothing else,” Patrick Hetland said. “We were spreading product on the shelves to make it look a little more full, because it just wasn’t enough.”

Since then, Wanderer’s Haul has grown commendably, and started drawing a loyal crowd to a mix of board game nights, Magic: The Gathering tournaments, Dungeons & Dragons events, and play days for the tabletop game Warmachine. It’s also expanded its space, roughly doubling in size.

“The Haul,“ as they call it, is now Patrick’s full-time job. Kate works there part-time as well. Shelves are lined with tabletop hobbyist supplies, and a handful of regulars have made the store their go-to place to hang out.

That last detail is critical. The Hetlands said they hoped their shop served not only as a place for hobbyists to play games and buy products, but as a source of much-needed community.

“I used to go to the game store when I was having a really hard time,” Kate Hetland said. “It’s always been really important for me that kids especially, but anyone really who’s having a hard time, have somewhere that they can go, that they just feel welcome and accepted. It’s important to me, and really fulfilling to be able to provide that place for people.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com