just purchases several flowers and vegetables for our garden here. very reasonable prices and all…read moreare doing good and looking beautiful. Love this place!!

Vanessa's was busy when we visited last weekend, and for good reason. The flowers are beautiful and…read morethey have a great, healthy looking selection of vegetables. We grabbed a wagon and loaded it up with hanging baskets of flowers for Mother's Day presents. The employees were courteous, answering questions and assisting us to the car. I returned yesterday to buy some of their huge, beautiful African marigolds. It's planting season! Get to Vanessa's Open Air Market!

So many food trucks to choose from and they all smell terrific! Prices are reasonable. Also so much…read morefresh veggies, beautiful plants and fun locally made crafts. Service of vendors vary with most being above average. Loved the market it's a must visit!

There are some unique gems like hand crafted candles, some baked goods and some "trinkets" that…read morelook really cool, just not something I need. There was a gentleman performing solo music that was fun to sit and listen. Front Street brewing has a stand here - and each of the two times I've purchased a beverage (different trips), I have had a less than enjoyable interface with the team staffing the cart. Turns me off to FSB to be honest. The produce is over priced for the most part but I do enjoy fresh and tasty tomatoes as well as sweet corn. To me the pricing would be ok if it was for organic produce. But we all know this is sprayed and probably GMO. That said, it makes for a fun few hours. Park area for the kids to enjoy, as well as a petting zoo.

I have been dying to go apple picking for years and relive some childhood memories. Finally, the…read moreday came! This is the only pick-your-own apple orchard within miles of the QC. We expected it to be overcrowded. Not at all! Everything is laid out so nicely. There are 2 sections - the pick-you-own orchard, and the barn/petting zoo. The pick-your-own orchard has a variety of different kinds of apples to pick. It is $1.50/lb, and a minimum of 20 pounds. You can rent a apple picker ($10 deposit), and they also have a tractor ride to the orchards if you want. It is CASH/CHECK ONLY - no credit cards here. They have a sign that is color coded so you know what trees are what variety, and also what rows they are in. The trees also have colored ribbons on them to match the sign. The trees had plenty of apples on them, and you can try them out to see if you like them. The barn is full of pre-picked apples, jams and preserves, apple butter, candies, caramel apples, apple cider, squash, gourds, pumpkins, and more! So many yummy things to choose from! They also have a petting zoo with chickens, goats, donkeys, rams, and an alpaca. You can feed the animals through the fence (they have feed you can purchase in the barn). The animals are friendly and will let you pet them. You can't go in the fence, but that's ok. The staff is really nice - I actually lost my ID while I was there and they found/returned it to me. A great family-run business! I will most definitely be returning!!

Everyone was so friendly here. Great activity to do with the family and get them outside! Loved the…read moregift shop they had across the street as well. Had some homemade kettle corn.

Their chicken shawarma is up there! Probably one of the top ones in iowa. Going to be my regular…read morestop on the way to and from Ames and waterloo.

A nice hidden jewel! I had a taste for middle eastern food and came across this place. A grocery…read morestore with a food counter and a simple menu. I ordered a spicy jumbo chicken Shawarma with a mint yogurt drink. The shawarma was amazing and the mint yogurt brought back memories. The service was great and I wish I would've gotten more stuff. Overall great experience and I will be back!!!

Loving our CSA. So happy to support local agriculture & very happy with the produce we've received…read morefrom spurgeon veggies --in a very difficult farming year!

Fun place for apple-picking and buying delicious apple products (recommend the sparkling apple…read morecider and apple donuts). The orchard is huge, with plenty of room to roam and apple tree varieties to choose from, mostly honey crisp, but also crimson crisp, Jonagold, fuji, and gala. Admission is $5 per person and we paid $22 for a two-person you-pick peck. Which was more than enough for us! Cons: Parking was an issue (it was a weekend) with unclear traffic flow through the lot...and it became progressively more busy later in the day.

This was a most lovely orchard experience from start to finish. I began with a visit inside the…read morefarm market, which had fresh apples; frozen applesauce and pies; chilled apple cider + cans of their alcoholic ciders; and merchandise + gifts. Make your way to the register, and you can purchase donuts and turnovers as well as your u-pick bags. I made my apple turnover ala mode, which was worthwhile, and savored it outside overlooking the orchard. So picturesque! After my apple treat, I was ready to pick and made my way to the orchard. Expect some hill climbing and pretty scenery between the apple trees and flower fields. I imagine the trek could be more challenging for families with young ones. Wilson's boasts 100 varieties of apples, one of the reasons I visited the orchard in the first place. At the end of September, I filled my bags with two varieties I had never heard of, which was fun. The rows were well-marked with the apples that were ready for picking as well as the name of the variety. More importantly, the apples were delicious. Overall, I'm very happy I spent a morning here, and I imagine just about anyone else will feel similarly.

This is the only place to get your fresh corn on the cob! They actually look at the corn before…read morethey sell it!! So very delicious!!!!

Nice and bright store. First time I tried their prepared products. I got the last rotisserie…read morechicken, and a bacon potato salad. The salad was more expensive than other market offerings but was worth it. I would skip their chips. It tasted off whether it was stale or due to the preparation process. The classical musicians in the parking lot was a bonus.

I love how organized and clean this store is. It's very calm and I enjoy shopping here. My produce…read moreis always fresh and good quality. Highly recommend.