The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group (CDG), a Main Street Iowa organization, today announced that its annual 4^th of July Nitty Gritty (formerly known as the Lincoln Highway Antiques Extravaganza) will take place Thursday, July 4, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

The event focuses on vintage, agricultural, repurposed, industrial, primitive, artisan and retro pieces, as well as traditional collectibles and antiques. New this year will be an antique tractor show featuring several area farmers showing off their retro tractors.

More than 8,000 visitors are expected for the one-day-only outdoor sale. Mount Vernon’s historic First Street will be closed to traffic for the day, creating a Pedestrian Mall with an outdoor food court and vendor booths set up and down three blocks of Mount Vernon’s Uptown Business District.

“The antiques committee made a decision to include tractors this year, as well as the vintage, agricultural, repurposed, industrial, primitive, artisan and retro pieces our audience loves,” said event organizer Karrie Clark. “We expect to have more than 20 vendor booths, including a few first-time vendors to this event.”

The event remains popular with the antique-buying public because of its Uptown location on a hill that allows the festival to go on rain or shine. And the festival’s location right in front of Mount Vernon’s air-conditioned shops and restaurants, including multiple antique shops, offers a comfortable retreat from the outdoor, open-air festival.

Antique dealers interested in bringing a vendor booth to the event can download an application here: Deadline extended!

A dealer letter is available here:

A food vendor application is available here:

About the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group exists to improve the social and economic well-being of Mount Vernon and Lisbon by capitalizing on their unique identity, assets and character. Mount Vernon was selected as a Main Street community in 2008, and practices economic development within the context of historic preservation.

About Main Street

The Main Street Approach is a copyrighted process of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  The Program has been used in Iowa since 1986 with a total of 56 communities having participated.  Mount Vernon was selected as a Main Street community on March 4, 2008, by the State of Iowa, after submitting a comprehensive application and presenting to a select board of reviewers.