Rural Route Ramble announces nearly 100 local businesses participating in weekend shopping event

MOVILLE, Iowa (KTIV) – Do you want to shop local this holiday season?

The Rural Route Ramble (RRR) is taking over small towns in Northwest Iowa, on Friday, December 6, and Saturday, December 7.

On Friday, the team released the ramble map so shoppers can start planning their routes.

The organizers say the number of shoppers continues to grow every year.

In 2020, there were 8 towns and 35 businesses. This is the fifth year of the Ramble an idea after COVID hurt local businesses that were trying to stay afloat.

It has turned into a weekend where everyone is invited to shop in the area and see new businesses.

This year over 100 businesses are participating in 14 towns offering deals and sales of all kinds.

”It truly feels like a magical weekend. We come from these small towns and love seeing our main streets full of people. To be able to go to these other towns and see parking lots full, every seat in a restaurant full, and lines of people waiting to pay for their purchases at these small businesses is super heartwarming,” said Melissa Nelson, one of the co-founders of the Rural Route Ramble.

It’s a mix of brick-and-mortar and pop-up shops.

New this year, paper copies of the routes will be available at these participating stores and online as it has been in years past.

New to the route, some area community centers, like Danbury, are participating as hosts to some of the local pop-up shops.

Keri Thomas joined the team in 2022 helping bring on more restaurants for shoppers to visit and bring in special deals.

Thomas said, “I love speaking with the vendors that want to be a part of the route.” She continued, “We encourage them to do quick bites for the shoppers. A lot of shoppers want to keep going on the road like a quick coffee, and a quick bite, and there are lots of options of area restaurants providing that.”

RRR says approximately 4,000 to 5,000 shoppers come through the route and hit up as many towns as they want.

”We’ll bring four to five vendors in. What is unique and special about this is, while this is an event space most of the time; when people walk in here during the Ramble it will feel like a bustling shopping mall filled with all sorts of handmade and uniquely curated items right from this area,” said Marissa Molland, Co-founder of Rural Route Ramble.

Each year grows and brings in new businesses. Organizers say they pay attention to what the shoppers want each year.

“Growing up in small towns all the special things our community brings, and we love to showcase that to other community members,” Molland added.

The route businesses are open next Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Restaurants are open on Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m, and Coffee Shop are open Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thomas added, “We do think it is a two-day event if you want to hit every store. Make your route, grab your friends, and just start going!”

Learn more about the participating businesses and plan your trip by following this link to Rural Route Ramble.

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