Ashley Chrise, 7, rides a pony with horse guide Mark Blakeney of Bullion Farms at the Zelienople Country Fall Festival on Saturday. Photography by Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle

ZELIENOPLE — While the raindrops dampened the 36th annual Zelienople Country Fall Festival on Saturday, the outlook of vendors, attendees and organizers remained bright and sunny.

Some carried umbrellas to fend off the drizzle, while others wore windbreakers or raincoats as they strolled Main Street, visited businesses, perused the crafts and displays in Four Corners Park or noshed on goodies from the food vendors behind the town's eponymous lion fountain.

Joe Gusherowski of New Freedom, York County, came to the festival with three fellow sophomores from Robert Morris University.

He dropped fresh-cut fries into his mouth one by one after having finished his Memphis barbecue hot dog from a vendor at the park.“I was told it was going to be a good time, and I was also told there would be lots of good food, which there is,” Gusherowski said.The young man who shared that information is his RMU classmate, Matteo Caruso, of Zelienople, who graduated from Seneca Valley Senior High in 2020.“I just like how it's a great way for the town to get together and do activities,” Caruso said. “It's just a fun thing to do.”Laura Millerschoen of Harmony shopped the crafter booths with her friend, Lizzie Rogers, who pushed her 2-year-old son, Jack, in a stroller.It was the first Country Fall Festival for the trio.“We heard good things about it,” Millerschoen said “It's super nice.”Rogers said the festival has a happy, relaxing atmosphere.“Rain, rain, go away,” she said.

Festival coordinator Matthew Edwards agreed.“Obviously you never want rain, but we're going to keep plugging away and moving forward,” he said.He said the festival was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he expected a large turnout this year as the popular festival returned.“We moved things around to push people onto Main Street because it's about getting foot traffic to local businesses,” Edwards said. “People can walk around town and experience everything we have.”

Richard T. Clayton, of Rochester, Beaver County, tries to come to the festival with his wife each year.“I like Zelienople,” Clayton said as he took a short rest in front of the Kaufman Tavern on Main Street.“This is a hometown festival.”He noticed lots of new restaurants and shops on Saturday, and was happy to see the community mingling once again.“It's good for the people who live here,” Clayton said of the festival. “It gives them something to look forward to.”

Tiler Stoops drove his 1957 Farmall tractor from his home between Zelienople and Portersville right down Route 19 to provide free hayrides for the families at the festival.“I was doing 19 miles an hour on Route 19,” Stoops said.He agreed that the Zelienople Country Fall Festival is an important event in the borough.“People come to these festivals and see the stores and come back and shop there,” he said.The festival, also included a chili cookoff, live music, car cruise and farmers market.

Rhett Poore, 5, feeds Beowulf the alpaca of Asgard Alpaca at Zelienople Fall Fest Saturday. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 10/08/21

2021 Zelienople Fall Fest. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 10/09/21

Josh Hassan of Piper’s Pottery shows a pair of his bowls to Michael Koehler and his mother, Julie Koehler, at the festival.

Danika Bielby, 8, feeds a goat at Bullion Farms petting zoo area at Zelienople Fall Fest Saturday. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 10/9/21