A view of the newly repainted Main Street Gorge in Dysart. The Vision Dysart project was recently restored for the 2021 summer season and greeted visitors during the Back Roads Vintage Market on June 12. Darvin Graham/NT Telegraph

On Saturday, June 12 the all back roads led to Dysart for the return of the Back Roads Vintage Market. The open air market on Main Street in Dysart has been organized by the Dysart Development Corporation since 2013 as a way to bring Main Street retail business outdoors in a fun way. Vendors offered shoppers a variety of antiques, vintage memorabilia and handmade products to compliment the retail businesses with storefronts already on Dysart’s Main Street.

The weather for the event, which ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. was sunny and warm. A new bar and grill establishment, Harper’s Public House, conducted a soft opening during the Vintage Market, offering bloody marys, mimosas, coffee and sodas. Owners of the new Dysart business at 325 Main Street said following the Saturday event, they were planning on a Grand Opening event July 2 with limited bar hours in the days leading up.

Organizers reported 39 vendors were in attendance at the Back Roads Vintage Market, most from the Cedar Valley area, but some as far out as Des Moines and Hampton. Attendance and participation were reportedly down slightly compared to previous years, which organizers thought was due to the pandemic.

Upcoming events in Dysart include the Independence Day celebration on July 3 and 4, Classic Car Show on July 23, Old Iron Days on July 17, Golf Cart Cruise on August 11, Holiday Bazaar on November 13 and Christmas on Main with a date to be announced. Dysart DDC and Vision Dysart updates and announcements on Facebook at at discoverdysart.org.