Depending on the day, it sure might not feel like spring these days. With high temperatures fluctuating from 30 degrees to 74 degrees literally by the day, no one would blame you for some confusion.
The answer is, yes, spring is here. And if you need some confirmation, look no further than this coming Saturday, when the Tracy Area Chamber of Commerce Prairie Women’s Expo returns to the VMC.
There is plenty in store for the 21st annual event, which will feature food, fashion and fun — not to mention some pretty diverse vendor items from about 55 businesses, large and small.
Besides hand-sewn items, jewelry, makeup and anything you can get your olfactory sense on, there is another item that has grown in popularity.
“The last couple years, what’s been really big is baked products,” said one of the organizers, Casey Schmidt. “Sourdough bread, sourdough cookies, all kinds of breads. That’s been huge; they sell out way before the show ends.”
Midwest Supply and the soonto- be-open The Vault Collection boutique are sponsoring the 1 p.m. fashion show, which will feature Miss Tracy royalty models who Lynn Magnuson has lined up.
“We’ve got the fashion show back!” said Schmidt. “We used to not have businesses that wanted to be a
• IT’S EXPO TIME
What: Prairie Women’s Expo
When: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 11
Where: Veterans Memorial Center part of it, so we just stopped doing it.”
During the show, a charcuterie board will be available for guests, but that is by no means all the food that will be available. There will be a number of food vendors on hand: Tracy Food Pride, Squatch Coffee & Eats, and The Tracy Lutheran Youth Group.
Schmidt said the various food items offered have become a big attraction — and some people go just to fill their bellies.
“I think it pulls people in; people come here just to eat,” Schmidt said. “They aren’t into or there’s nothing they need, so they’ll come just to eat. And we have Bloody Marys and wine, and people will say, ‘Oh, let’s go have a glass of wine.’” And The food truck is another amenity that many enjoy, Schmidt said.
And the weather, Schmidt “guarantees,” should cooperate.
“They’re saying the weather should be nice,” she said, fingers crossed. “We don’t want it 70 degrees, because then people will be outside Doors open at 9 a.m., Saturday, and the first 200 visitors — and each vendor — will receive a goodie bag.
