Downtown Butler was busy this weekend.

Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, the city streets were filled for three different reasons.

On Friday, June 21, people flocked to downtown Butler for Foodie Friday and the Moon Markets. On Saturday, the reason for the crowd was the Butler Road Race, and the following day, June 22, brought back another round of people for the 29th annual Cruise-A-Palooza.

We enjoy seeing weekends like this for downtown Butler. Such an interest in events happening in our downtown speaks to the promise of and the allure of visiting Butler’s Main Street. There are many businesses to check out, so we hope visitors took a chance to step inside a few stores this weekend to beat the blistering heat.

Friday’s fun is reflective of a monthly opportunity to spend time in downtown Butler. Foodie Fridays and the Moon Markets, which run consecutively, happen every third Friday of each month this summer. They kick off around 5:30 p.m. and continue into the evening with live music in the mix.

Next month, people are encouraged to bring their pets for a ‘Dog Days of Summer’ themed version of the event.

The Saturday race and the Sunday cruise are both longtime traditions.

Though heat undoubtedly kept some away for the 2k and 5-mile races that began and ended at Diamond Park on Saturday, many did show up for the 49th Annual Butler Road Race.

On Sunday, the street was packed with 1,200 vehicles and plenty of people checking them out at the event by the Rodfathers of Butler.

Butler has a lot going for it. This weekend was a testament to that. People came out despite the heat to spend time in downtown Butler. And while we’d be happy to see the excessive heat decrease, we hope the presence of the community in our downtown will increase.

— TL