PENN TWP — The leaves were falling and the autumn breeze was brisk, but the feeling of excitement rose to a fever pitch Saturday as Butler County enjoyed its first visit from a sitting president of the United States.

While President Donald Trump arrived via helicopter at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport at 6:20 p.m., his devoted supporters began arriving as early as 1 p.m. at the several designated farms and fields in the area to board school buses headed to the event.

Many residents living within earshot of the large speakers set up at the airport bundled up and walked to the event.

While Airport Road was closed at 8 a.m. Saturday, Three Degree Road between Renfrew Road and Beacon Road — where Penn Township Police blocked the remainder of Three Degree as a security measure — was alive with people walking to the rally, parking in the yards of enterprising property owners and driving carefully toward the harried officers to ask where to go.

Travis Squyres, who has lived at his home at Beacon and Three Degree roads for 11 years, planned a Halloween party at his house for a number of his friends.

The party, which had nothing to do with Trump's visit, was planned for 5:30 p.m., the same time as Trump's speech was to begin.

Squyres spent most of Saturday afternoon turning motorists down who offered to pay to park in his driveway.

'Kind of cool'

“It's kind of neat, I guess,” Squyres said as walkers swarmed up Three Degree Road toward the airport. “We usually don't get any type of attention at all here.”

He said he heard snippets of the same song blasting repeatedly from speakers at the airport Saturday morning as Trump's advance team tested the public address system at the nearby airport.

“It's kind of cool for the area, no matter what you think,” Squyres said.

Beacon Road resident Art Hughes has lived in his brick home with his family since 1971.

Beacon Road is separated from the airport by Rath Farms, whose beef cattle had bigger worries Saturday than the commotion at the airport.

Hughes said President George H.W. Bush attended a party at Rath Farms in the 1980s when he was a candidate for president.

Hughes, who is a Trump supporter, watched as a steady stream of traffic passed through the normally quiet neighborhood.

“I hope it helps his success,” Hughes said of the rally.

Lisa Bush, also of Beacon Road, had no complaints about the president visiting just across the field from her home.

“I'm a Trump supporter, so I don't have any problem with him being there,” Bush said, “but I wouldn't mind if (Joe) Biden was there. It's part of the American process.”

She said car shows and air shows at the airport also cause increased traffic on Beacon Road and unusual aircraft to fly in and out.

“This time, it just happens to be the president of the United States coming,” she said.

Mary Feldbauer and her family have lived at their Beacon Road home for 24 years.

She noticed a handful of V-22 Osprey aircraft landing at the airport Friday and the huge flag-bearing booms appear across the field.

On Saturday, she awoke at about 9 a.m. to the muffled sound of thumping music.

“My husband thought someone was playing loud music in their car in our driveway,” Feldbauer said.

She soon realized it was coming from the speakers at the airport.

Representing the real America

Feldbauer and other neighbors also noticed several cars stopping on Beacon Road on Friday evening and Saturday to get a glimpse of the huge flags set up at the airport for Trump's visit.

Chris Reiser, also of Beacon Road, has lived at his home since 1991.

He, his wife and adult daughter slipped into their fall jackets around 2 p.m. to walk the mile or so to the rally.

“I'm excited about it,” Reiser said. “I just think it's neat that a sitting president is coming here.”

A fervent group of Trump supporters met at a home on Hillcrest Road, where they parked for the nearby rally.

One member of the seven-person group, Mary Rose Thomas of Cranberry Township, said she came to support Trump because he is enthusiastic and has a love of the American people.

Thomas said she admires Trump for carrying on in the face of fervent opposition.

“I'm excited he is in our area and is representing the real American,” she said.

Gwen McDonald's Monroe Road property borders the southern side of the airport, but she could not see the festivities due to the airplane hangars and lay of the land beyond her back yard.

She said Penn Township dump trucks and tractors are parked at every entrance gate around the perimeter of the airport.

McDonald's husband is a truck driver in the Marcellus Shale gas industry and was working on Saturday.

Because Trump supports the industry, the couple support Trump.

“He's bummed he couldn't be here,” McDonald said.

The parking lot at Harcrest Park off Three Degree Road in Penn Township was full Saturday, and groups of people walked the considerable distance from the park to the airport to hear Trump's rally speech.

“He deserves my support for all he's done for the country,” said Brian Antal of Muddy Creek Township, who parked at Harcrest. “So many forces are against him now.”

His son, Ben Antal, agreed.

“He needs our support right now because everyone is against him,” Ben said.

About 40 vehicles lined the south side of Beacon Road just before the president's chopper arrived from a rally in Berks County, Pa.

The observers were at first disappointed because it appeared the choppers came in and landed behind a stand of trees and were nearly invisible, but those were military helicopters accompanying the president's entourage.

A few minutes later, the president's gleaming helicopter arrived high above and descended gracefully to the tarmac.

After the rally, those disembarking school buses and heading for their cars in a huge field on Hicks Road appeared anything but weary.

“It was excellent,” said a beaming Colton Karns of Center Township. “I liked everything he had to say about what he's done for our country and what he's going to do in the next four years.”

His companion, Robin Peters of Connoquenessing Township, agreed.

“I really like how honest he is. He's so blunt,” she said. “He gets straight to the point.”

Peters said she is glad she was able to attend the thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime event.

“No matter what your political party is, it's really cool to see a president in person,” she said.

Matt Nichols of Sewickley, Allegheny County, said the rally was fun, if a little chilly.

“The president's message was spot on,” Nichols said. “He does a good job interacting with the crowd.”

He said the president talked about issues that are important to those in the region, such as fracking and Second Amendment rights.

Tyler Pyle of Butler said Trump's speech was informative.

“He filled us in on issues and how he is going to conquer them,” he said.

Pyle also appreciated the fun vibe of the rally.

“It was almost like a party,” he said.

Angela Moyer of Summit Township was thrilled that she was able to attend the rally.

“It was amazing. A once-in-a-lifetime event,” she said. “Fabulous.”

She was happy to hear that Trump has taken steps to protect AK Steel, which is one of the largest employers in the county.

“It means for the future, AK Steel is still going to be here,” Moyer said.

She said Trump's action will ensure AK Steel employees in all four corners of Butler County will continue to be employed and support the local economy.