DUBUQUE — Iowa’s Tax Free Holiday Weekend is here. On Friday shoppers rushed to the stores in wet and dreary weather. This weekend they’ll do the same in the heat.

The tax free weekend is always the first Friday and Saturday in August. Customers don’t have to pay taxes when buying clothes or this weekend.

On Friday the rain was pouring down outside Honest John’s Emporium, not the best day for a sidewalk sale. Inside Mary Bainbridge is stocking up on Birkenstocks, “I have three picked out, I’m still looking so I’ll probably get another pair.” She lives in Benton, Wisconsin and made the trip across the river so she wouldn’t have to pay the taxes on these pricey sandals. In this particular store the sandals happen to also be on sale. “Oh yeah, this is really a good thing for the Birkenstocks.”

Several small businesses advertise sales in addition to the tax free weekend. Because now, more than ever, local businesses are encouraging people to spend their money at locally owned stores. Terri Meadows with Honest John’s tells TV9, “We have a lot of people who really want to buy American made things and that’s so hard to find for everybody so I say if you can’t find American made things the next best thing is to buy local.”

Times are tough for both shoppers and retailers. Both are enjoying the break from sales tax, now they just look forward to a break from the rain.