FRANKLIN, Kan. — This Saturday, Bathhouse Trading Company, located at 752 KS-47, in Franklin, is hosting the second annual Loofah Fest, a celebration of self-care and the outdoors.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., guests are invited to explore the vines and tunnels of loofahs and learn about the gourd and its importance to pollinators. According to Bathhouse Owner Keegan Koehler, they are easy to grow but require patience as they have a long growing season.
“Using a loofah has so many benefits,” Koehler said in an email. “They’re completely natural, biodegradable, and incredibly effective at gently exfoliating the skin. They help remove dead skin, improve circulation, and create a great lather with soap, all without plastic or synthetic materials. We love that they’re simple, functional, and sustainable.”
In addition to learning about loofahs, seven local businesses will be offering their services and wares. These businesses include Rae + Kae, Blue Dog Wine Co., Make a Difference Farm, The Well Traveled Chef, Refreshed Salon & Spa, Knock Out Massage and Tater Pitt food truck.
“One of our favorite parts of Loofah Fest is being able to use the event to introduce people to other small businesses in our area,” Koehler said. “We want people to come out and spend the day with us, but hopefully they also discover another local business they didn’t know about before.”
The event will also feature a “Find the Loofah” game, where guests must locate the hidden painted loofahs among the vines. Koehler will also have a Paint-Your-Own Pumpkin area and yard games.
While enjoying lunch, attendees are invited to sit in the loofah gazebo and watch Koehler’s mini donkeys and alpacas.
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Department also will be present for community outreach and will have fingerprint kits available for kids.
As this is only the second Loofah Fest event, Koehler said she learned a lot from the first event. She and her husband have put more into educated people about loofahs.
“A lot of people have never actually seen a loofah growing on a vine,” she said. “They know what one looks like hanging in a shower, but they don’t necessarily realize it starts as a green gourd growing right here in Kansas. Being able to walk underneath the vines and see that process in person is a big part of what makes this event unique.”
When people first came to shop at their storefront, she said people were fascinated to see that loofahs grew on a vine. These interactions sparked the idea for Loofah Fest.
“I think my favorite part is seeing people experience the property and the loofahs for the first time,” Koehler said. “We spend so much of the year growing things, making products and working behind the scenes, and Loofah Fest gives us a chance to open that world up a little bit.”
To learn more about Bathhouse Trading Co., visit bathhousetradingco.com.
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.
