Public can eat, mingle, shop and play in Saxonburg
SAXONBURG — The public is invited to the first Mingle on Main of 2018, which will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday on Main Street.
Meghan Pohl of the Saxonburg Business Association is again organizing the event, which was the brainchild of the late Mayor Pam Bauman.
“The whole mission statement with Pam was to cause excitement about the town because we had a lot of empty storefronts,” she said.
Held every third Thursday from May through September, Pohl said the event exploded last year and grew beyond anything the association expected. In 2017, the event drew 500 to 600 people per event, she said.
“Big families of all generations come, so it's pretty cool,” Pohl said.
Main Street is blocked off from Pittsburgh Street to Rebecca Street and the 200-seat Mayor's Table is set up right down the middle of Main. A dinner bell is rung at 6 p.m. and current Mayor William Gillespie will say a few words. The Mayor's Table is available throughout the event for diners and minglers.
The town's shops and restaurants open up for the event, and Pohl said 36 vendors are signed up.
Lots of food trucks and baked goods are among the vendors, including the popular lobster truck, as well as offerings like tacos, barbecue and burritos.
Pohl said many families take a picnic to eat at the Mayor's Table while others hit the food trucks.
“It's just the idea of joining together as a community,” she said.
Many artisans are among the vendors as well, including a variety of Saxonburg-specific crafts.
“It's still very local,” Pohl said. “That's the awesome thing about Saxonburg, the people are super supportive.”
The volunteer fire department will sell raffle tickets for a new Jeep and the American Legion will do the same for its annual Harley-Davidson motorcycle raffle.
New this year are additional children's games to keep the youngest revelers happy.
Pohl said the Toast to Tourism held in the borough four years ago was a ringing success, and folks put their parade chairs out a week early in anticipation of the events.
“I think the town was just looking for a reason to have more events like this,” Pohl said of Mingle on Main. “People like to get together and talk and eat, and there are so many good places to do that in our community.”
Another facet of Mingle on Main that many enjoy is that dogs are allowed on leashes. Big bowls of water will be available for the pooches at many downtown businesses.
Pohl said the first Mingle on Main in 2015 included four or five vendors. Now, she said vendors call every day for two weeks trying to get a spot.
Bauman would have been thrilled with the way her idea has taken off, Pohl said.
“She'd be so excited,” Pohl said. “It would be a party every Thursday for her.”
Pohl invites everyone to come enjoy some food, hear some good music and hang out with some of the friendliest people on Earth.
“It just gives you something to do to start off the weekend,” she said.
