WILLMAR—The festival that started as a way to showcase Willmar’s love for coffee while highlighting the people and businesses that make this community what it is, Willmar Fests was finally able to celebrate its 75th anniversary in its 76th year.

As the pandemic finally loosened its grip on Willmar and the rest of Minnesota, the Willmar Fests Board sought to highlight those businesses that make Willmar great—its small businesses.

That’s when Willmar Fests Board member Sarah Swedburg remembered hearing about an event that Willmar had put on previously, the “Taste of Downtown.”

“I have heard nothing but this event since I got to Willmar, so we wanted to bring it back,” Swedburg said. “We thought this was a perfect way to bring the event back, get downtown businesses involved with the Willmar Fests Block Party and kind of give people the opportunity to test out the waters [with food] that maybe they haven’t tried.”

Read the full article by the West Central Tribune.