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Kalona Fall Fest honored history and celebrated community
The 51st Kalona Fall Fest drew large crowds that shared in traditions and creating memories
KALONA — Crowds flocked to Kalona over the weekend for the annual Fall Fest to celebrate the community, enjoy entertainment and devour delicious treats.
This year’s Fall Fest also gave attendees the opportunity to enjoy the brand-new Wahl’s Museum which Historical Board Executive Director Steve Reif said opened only a month earlier.
“This building opened a month ago after six years,” Reif said. “ … Basically, if you start at the front door, it tells you the history of Kalona before it even existed.”
Reif holds a special attachment to the museum as he says he learned a lot about his own family history as he dug into the history of the town.
“I’ll tell you; I learned more in the six years this project was being done than I knew in the first 50 I was here,” Reif said.
Along with Reif, many enjoyed the historical aspects of the fall fest hosted at the Historical Village and the deep connection to families and traditions.
Some of those attend Fall Fest armed with their tried-and-true recipes and served a variety of foods at Fall Fest, as well.
“We use our own recipe,” Gary Kueneman, Dort’s husband, said as he served a young boy a double scoop bowl of ice cream topped with homemade strawberry sauce and Hershey’s syrup.
Over 30 years ago sisters Arlene Miller’s and Dort Kueneman’s family began making and selling their family’s homemade ice cream at Fall Fest.
Just like the tradition was handed down to Arlene and Dort many years ago, their children began to carry the torch this year.
While Arlene Miller’s youngest son Shaun Miller grew up around the tradition of making ice cream and attending the Fall Fest, this year was his first year stepping behind the serving table.
The tradition of Community Awards also honor the history of the people that make up the Kalona community.
“Congratulations to the Historical Village, 51 years here doing this,” City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said before presenting six individuals with awards. “This is tremendous. A lot goes into it. A lot of volunteerism.”
After recognizing previous year’s award recipients, Schlabaugh presented Janet Ferry, Marilyn Yoder, Amy Schulte, Colette Yoder, Tim Rouse, and Karen Christner as the 2023 Kalona Community Award recipients.
According to Schlabaugh, the Ferry and Marilyn Yoder played a vital role in getting the Wahl’s Museum up and going.
“Janet and Marilyn have worked for six years to research and develop the Wahl’s Streetscape Museum at the village,” Schlabaugh said.
Schlabaugh recognized Colette Yoder’s continued “sweat equity” supporting the community through the Kalona News newspaper as he presented her with an award.
Christner smiled as Schlabaugh cracked jokes and recognized her “selfless serving” while presenting her with a 2023 Kalona Community Award.
While YMCA Chief Executive Officer Amy Schulte was recognized for her contribution to the Kalona community through her role with the YMCA, she reciprocated her appreciation saying the relationship with the city has been “ … a really mutually beneficial relationship for both groups and the support from the community has just been fantastic, so, thank you so much.”
Fellow recipient Tim Rouse expressed similar sentiments when Schlabaugh recognized his work with kids in the community over the summers buildings and fixing homes.
“I just want to make sure that everybody knows that this kind of stuff doesn't happen without community service and projects like this and the support of the community,” Rouse said. “Without the support of the community and the support of people doing those things, we can’t do this stuff for the kids.”
“I do believe that I am just a small piece in the system,” Rouse said.
Even with all of this history saturating Kalona Fall Fest, the opportunity to experience these traditions of ice cream, apple fritters, barrel train rides, and the interactive exhibits lends itself to discovery for a new generation filled with children like 10-year-old Jackson Carr who had his first funnel cake at the event Saturday, MaKenna Leffler who enjoyed cotton candy and the petting zoo, and Kian Bierman who ate up the time with family and a bowl of homemade ice cream.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
