Festival to draw thousands
ZELIENOPLE — The 51st annual Horse Trading Days will run Thursday through Saturday.
The event, which includes a parade, live entertainment and food and craft vendors, is expected to attract 40,000 people to the borough over its three days.
Activities will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
It is sponsored by the Business Association of the Zelie-Harmony Chamber of Commerce, said director Jennifer Ackerman.
The festival is a way to bring in people who live closer to Pittsburgh, Ackerman said.
“People love to take the drive out to Zelienople,” she said. “It brings in about 40,000 people a year; just the exposure alone for the businesses on Main Street is big.”
Horse and wagon rides will be available again this year. Also returning will be live music from the Corbin/Hanner Band in the amphitheater. Admission for that concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday will be $5 per person.
Each day will include free live music at locations in Zelienople.
The gazebo in Four Corners Park will host performers including Pat Blackburn, Jon Fisher and Dan Hulse.
On Saturday the Park United Presbyterian Church will host a number of performers including Doug Ries’ Extreme Christian Magic, Donnie Clark and the Park Praise Band.
The Strand Theater will also have concerts at 7:30 p.m. on all three days. Though they are free, tickets will be distributed at the box office on the day of the show. The tickets are first come, first served and there will be a four ticket limit per person.
On Thursday, country singer Sydney Hutchko will perform. Friday will feature Zelienople bluegrass group Bits ‘n Pieces and Saturday will feature doo-wop group The Softwinds.
The 51st Little Mr. and Little Miss Horse Trading Days Pageant will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Kinsey-Volz Funeral Home. The pageant is open to boys and girls ages 4 to 7 who live in Cranberry Township, Evans City, Zelienople or Harmony.
The different phases of the competition include performing a talent, western attire and question and answer.
Games for children will include a frog jumping contest, baby races, rodent races, cowboy rodeo, stick horse races and a pedal power tractor pull.
A karaoke contest, dubbed Zelienople Idol, will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Fisher’s Restaurant and Bar. Entry is $10 with the top four all winning cash prizes.
The finals of the competition will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The parade will start at 7 p.m. Friday and will feature a variety of horses and horse-drawn vehicles.
Horse and wagon rides will be available on Friday and Saturday. They depart from Sunoco and will run from noon to 8 p.m.
For information on any of the attractions at Horse Trading Days, visit horsetradingdays.info.
