Until next year ...

COEUR d’ALENE — With care and precision, Ellen Scriven examined a head of bright green leaf lettuce before placing it among other fresh veggies on the Killarney Farm organic produce stand.

Scriven, who owns Killarney Farm with her husband Paul Smith, has participated in the local farmer's market scene "since the beginning."

"Since 1976," she said. "We were one of the original. Did you know the market started here on Sherman between Third and Fourth? The first year of the market was down on Sherman Avenue, which was closed off for the farmers market."

Scriven shared this nugget of local history Saturday during the final Kootenai County Farmers Market of the season at Fifth Street and Sherman Avenue, which was bustling with activity all day.

"I'm grateful that we have a beautiful day, that it's not raining," she said. "We've had an incredible turnout of people. It's wonderful to have the support of the community for local growers. I think it's a great thing. People value the local produce."

The finale of the downtown farmers market was accompanied by the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association's Fall Fest and Apple Palooza, two autumnal events that celebrate the season. Apple Palooza invites visitors downtown and into shops to sample different apple treats while shopping local and Fall Fest features family fun such as free hayrides, face painting, pumpkin decorating and more.

"It's been really fun to see the crowd in the morning, you know, the couples with their cup of coffee who get their scones and their vegetables, and now the families are starting to come out and bring the kiddos and they're ready for Halloween in their costumes," Downtown Association events coordinator Emily Boyd said. "It's fun to be able to provide something for the entire family."

Meagan Fehling of Coeur d'Alene visited the farmers market and enjoyed Apple Palooza and Fall Fest with her husband and two kids.

"I think it's great. It brings everybody together that lives downtown, I think," Meagan said. "We see a lot of people who are very local, it's convenient."

Her daughter, Elsie, 6, said her favorite part of the day was "seeing the big dog," referring to the friendly 220-pound Irish wolfhound Quinn that Karla Petermann of Sandpoint walked through the crowds.

At Sweet Peaks Ice Cream just north of Sherman, store manager Kendall Fetzer and her employees were happy to supply samples of homemade apple pie ice cream.

"If people come downtown, they seem to have to have a reason. It's kind of out of the way, you don't get off the freeway in the middle of downtown or anything like that," she said. "This kind of stuff is super important to continue getting people down here."

Jan Gilstead, who manages the Wednesday market and is a vendor at the Saturday market in Hayden, said she was really pleased with the turnout.

"Everybody seems to be in a really good mood," she said. "It's always festive down here in the fall. The trees are turning, everything looks fallish. Everybody is just happy to be out."

Gilstead said a Kootenai County Farmers Market winter market will be held at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 3.