By 11:15 Saturday morning the hot dogs were gone, but not the watermelon, nor the crowds who came for this month’s fest at the Ironton Farmers Market.

Each month Ironton In Bloom features a summertime food to entice visitors to the Saturday market.

This time, in honor of July 4th, the IIB volunteers served hot dogs with sauce and slices of melon.

And the market vendors agreed the fest was working as far as attracting crowds.

“It brings them out,” Cathy Knipp of Pedro, said. “People come from all over.”

Knipp, who sells fresh vegetables and fruits with her sister, Tammy Hanshaw, said the market’s trade has picked up over the past three weeks.

Popular items are corn, beans, tomatoes, candy onions and peaches.

“Which I’m out of,” Knipp said.

While the market started out with produce from out of state, goods now are for the most part homegrown.

Each month the sisters hold a drawing from all their customers and choose a winner who gets free produce. This month the winner was Sharon Donahoe.

Becky Wiseman, who sells homemade jams and jellies and sweet and yeast breads, agreed that the monthly fests help the vendors.

“It has been nice and steady with the free food,” Wiseman said.

Next month on Aug. 8 will be the corn festival.