Vendors affected by weather at Horse Trading Days take an optimistic view
ZELIENOPLE — The skies were visible this time, but Mother Nature still played spoiler.
Day Three of Horse Trading Days on Saturday, July 18, started strong in the morning, with a reduced air quality alert level.
Many vendors said turnout was significantly better early on Saturday compared to the previous two days, when air quality was at dangerously bad levels.
Jon Pakutz, with Experience Butler County, said Saturday morning was the best turnout he had seen all weekend.
But the day played out the opposite of how Thursday and Friday did. While the previous two days had their best moments later in the evening; on Saturday, much of the entertainment planned in the evening was canceled by organizers due to concerns about expected severe thunderstorms and high winds.
Early on Saturday afternoon, the Butler Eagle spoke with several local businesses with booths along Zelienople’s Main Street.
Many said the weather conditions impacted turnout the first two days of the event, which in turn meant less business than usual at the borough’s annual signature event.
Haley Gibson, for one, is starting her new private studio tattoo shop next month on Main Street. Gibson said on Friday she likes the area so far and the event helped her get to meet new people from the community, but acknowledged smoke that clouded the region from wildfires to the west the first few days of the festival was an issue.
“(The smoke) is not bothering me much but I can understand why they had to cancel a couple of things,” said Gibson. “We might be a little busier if it wasn’t like this.”
Regardless, Gibson and many other vendors remained positive and said the community turnout was good, considering the circumstances.
“Everyone’s been toughing it out,” said Karli Miller, general manager of Yoga Six. “It’s been a great turnout regardless.”
Sonia Sacco from Sonia’s Sanctuary was joined by some of her barn animals at her booth. Sacco said despite the smoke, decreased respiratory effort helped keep all the animals from inhaling too much smoke.
“They live outside anyway at home,” said Sacco.
Diana Schulties, dressed as Ariel, was representing her new Cranberry Township based princess company, Magic to Share, accompanied by her mother, Jill Schulties
The Schulties had to leave early on Friday because the smoke made it difficult for Jill Shulties to breathe, she said.
Originally, there were going to be other girls in costume showing up all day on Friday but those plans were canceled since Diana Schulties said she did not anticipate a big enough gathering.
The Schulties said one of the advantages of events like Horse Trading Days is getting to meet and take photos with kids for free, rather than birthday parties.
But due to the smoke, they said many parents were hesitant to bring along their children.
“But today — oh my gosh — the sun came out,” said Jill. “There’s definitely a lot more traffic today compared to yesterday.”
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Diana saw only about 15 attendees stop by for a picture but she said, on Saturday, she had about the same in just one hour.
Many vendors noted the threat of storms was on their radar.
“We’re going to be out here until it storms,” said Taylor Freet with Pappy's Family BBQ.
Miller said she planned to stick around despite the storm
“We want to make the best of it,” she said.
Jill Schulties said despite the weather hiccup, Horse Trading Days was as great an event for small businesses and local artisans as ever.
