Horse Trading Days vendors offer everything from crafts to cuisine
ZELIENOPLE — After years of setting up shop at Zelienople’s Horse Trading Days, Katherine Shaw knows exactly where to stake out the sweetest spot for her family’s signature fudge.
A branded tent bearing the Chocolate Moonshine Co. name set up at one end of Four Corners Park just across from Goodfello's Pizza Pasta & Grille, was consistently surrounded by patrons on Friday, July 18, the second day of the annual festival.
“For five years, I’ve been bouncing back and forth,” said Shaw, who lives in Mars, but operates the business in Grove City. “This is the first year I’ve been in this spot, and I don’t want to go anywhere but this spot from now on because it’s right on the street and it’s just great.”
While the event has little to do with actual horses, it has become a boon for vendors from around the region and beyond who are seeking to stir up business.
“I think because it’s on the street that everybody driving by — even if they weren’t coming to the festival — looks over and says ‘What’s that?’” Shaw said of what makes the event a success. “Not only do you have foot traffic from the advertising of the festival but you also have traffic from the people just driving by.”
About 100 vendors line the borough’s streets for the three-day event that takes place every July. It makes for an enticing outing for thousands of families interested in food, crafts and other specialty items.
Galen and Tammy Mayle, who are from Allegheny County’s Robinson Township and own “Couldn’t Bee Better Honey,” have been making the short trip up Interstate 79 for three years.
“We just did another festival in Cranberry (Cranberry Community Days) last week, so some of the same people go to both,” said Tammy Mayle, who has produced honey for eight years. “Some people specifically come here to find us to buy our honey. We have a wide variety of products and I make all-natural products.”
Elaine Bardol, who is affectionately known as “The Pillow Lady,” sells personalized gifts at various festivals throughout the year. Bardol, who is a native of Buffalo, N.Y., but regularly visits her son in Zelienople, was making her second appearance at the festival.
“I did really well last year and I met the nicest people,” she said. “It’s worth the trip. This is a great show.”
Even beyond all of the vendors that make their way into the borough, the event also supports the businesses that have permanent locations along Main Street.
The Munching Moose, a full-time bakery that officially opened May 1, attracted dozens of patrons who were seeking a sweet treat to go along with the traditional festival food.
“We’re getting a lot of foot traffic in the door,” said Michael Hall, a lifelong Zelienople resident who bought the bakery in March after owning a popular restaurant along the town’s Main Street decades ago. “A lot of people are coming into the store just to see, because there hasn’t been a full-time bakery in Zelienople for a long time.
“(Horse Trading Days) just brings a ton of people into this town. It just reinforces that this is a great place to raise a family. It’s a good community and it’s awesome to see this event continue to grow.”
The last day of the festival, Saturday, will feature a 5K, hot dog eating contest and dog show, along with craft and food vendors from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
