Ribbon cutting held for The Shops at Kessler’s

By KAITLYN ALANIS

Staff writer

A plethora of “past to present” items can be found at The Shops at Kessler’s, a collection of vendors occupying the former Kessler’s Kreations in Hillsboro.

From vendors such as Farmhouse Finds, Wild Country Rose, FlintHills Gypsies, customers can shop antiques, home decor, clothing, farm and garden supplies, and more.

“Kessler’s is a big store with a wide variety of items in The Shops,” said Joni Calam, who manages the booths. “It has been fun for entire families to come shopping here together.”

While they reopened June 1, Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon Tuesday at 112 S. Main St.

“We see this as a time to support and celebrate economic growth here in Marion County,” Calam said. “The Shops at Kessler’s provide opportunity while also bringing much needed retail to small town Main Street.”

Marie Kessler, who opened Kessler Kreations in 2011, focused on quilting, fabric, and supplies with a few booth spaces for additional shopping.

“In March of 2017, when she closed her retail business to focus more of her time on her machine quilting, several of our customers greatly missed coming to shop and we missed our customers,” Calam said. “We reopened the shops in June and have had wonderful county-wide support as well as frequent visitors from Wichita and surrounding counties.”

Calam said that while The Shops have many local followers, they also have many out of town clients who come for the quilting and then stop at the shops.

“It is very much like going to an art gallery of quilts,” she said. “Absolutely beautiful and definitely a destination by itself and yet with the huge bonus of The Shops.”

Calam said each shop keeper rearranges and frequently adds new items to help keep interest high and customers coming back on a weekly basis.

“You will notice that each shop showcases the creativity of its keeper, which is something our customers particularly enjoy,” she said. “Business is very good which also helps keep our inventory fresh.”

The Shops at Kessler’s is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, as well as the fourth Saturday of every month.