(Atlantic) Produce in the Park is best known as a weekly farmers market, but the June 25 market aims to celebrate the last word of the market’s title: “Park.”
The June 25 market is themed Parks & Recreation to draw attention to Atlantic’s parks and give the public an opportunity to get to know Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation department and new Director, Maggie Robinson.
A cornhole competition will be held during the June 25 farmers market for anyone who wishes to participate. Market-goers will challenge Atlantic Park and Recreation staff and supporters. The first 10 people to win against the Parks and Rec team will earn five dollars to spend at any vendor stall during the June 25 market–plus informal bragging rights.
A Parks & Rec-themed bingo will also be available for children to play during the market.
Lastly, the night will be a chance to meet the Atlantic Parks and Recreation department’s new Director Maggie Robinson who will be gathering community feedback on potential park improvements.
Atlantic has an expansive list of outdoor park areas available to the public, ranging from family-friendly play areas to free shelters and restrooms. As the new Parks and Recreation Director, Robinson hopes to use her role to expand year-round recreational activities around Atlantic and expand community use of the area’s multiple park areas.
Robinson grew up north of Atlantic and graduated from Atlantic High School. Parks and Recreation was a field that Robinson said she “fell into naturally;” growing up, she made time to be outdoors every day. Her passion for the outdoors led her to pursue her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Parks and Recreation. Robinson also completed her Master’s in Business Administration at the University of Vermont, an area she stayed working in for 16 years. Robinson said her time in the East Coast exposed her to many types of programming involving outdoor facilities.
“Atlantic is that classic midwest town that I was able to carry with me into other areas,” Robinson said. Robinson implemented the hospitality and hard-work values from her Iowan upbringing into her work on the East Coast. Conversely, Robinson also plans to implement the programming she saw on the East Coast into the Atlantic Parks and Recreation program. Specifically, she hopes to bring awareness to recreation activities available across all four
seasons.
Robinson officially began her role of director April 13 of this year. As she begins her duties as Director, she aims to understand the “combined interests” of city officials as well as residents. Thus, Robinson encourages local families to “see something, say something,” meaning to provide feedback on any park facilities in Atlantic as soon as they feel the need to. Robinson plans to use input from residents to target areas of improvement around the city’s public park facilities. An eight-minute survey will be available via QR code at the June 25 farmers market regarding public parks and possible updates to target in the future. The survey can also be found online at https://cityofatlantic.com/parks-recreation/.
Robinson believes in the physical and emotional benefits of outdoor recreation, stating, “You can’t go wrong with getting at least 30 minutes outside a day.” She lives her values and promotes outdoor adventures to her own family and brings her wife Ellie and their two kids, four-year-old Everett and one-year-old Florence, on many hiking adventures. Robinson encourages exploring the outdoors and challenging oneself, noting the time she took on the “Adirondack 46” challenge of hiking all 46 peaks of the Adirondack Mountains in New York.
To promote the benefits that come with being outdoors, Robinson is working with members of the public to target and improve outdoor facilities so that more residents may enjoy year-long recreation in Atlantic.
For more information on outdoor facilities in the Atlantic area, visit the Atlantic Parks and Recreation website at https://cityofatlantic.com/parks-recreation/.
Food trucks for the June 25 market include TikkaTalk serving Indian cuisine and Hungry Spartan Pizza, as well as HKA Drinks. Tyler Folkers is the musical entertainment for the night, sponsored by Rolling Hills Bank and Trust.
Businesses and organizations supporting Produce in the Park as Annual Sponsors for the 2026-2027 season include the City of Atlantic, First Whitney Bank & Trust, Cass Health, Atlantic Hy-Vee, Cass County Tourism, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, Gregg Young Chevrolet of Atlantic, and the Nishna Valley YMCA. Sponsors for the month of June include Community First Credit Union and United Church of Christ.
Produce in the Park is held every Thursday evening in the Atlantic City Park from 4:30–6:30 PM from June through September. All are welcome, and admission is free. The market accepts SNAP/EBT, SUN Bucks (Summer EBT available to children) and Double Up Food Bucks.
For the latest information on all Produce in the Park markets, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/).
(Article Submitted by Ciara Hoegh, Produce in the Park Manager)
