Zelie draws crowds for Small Business Saturday
ZELIENOPLE — Although Heather Shriver’s children saw many toys and items they wanted for Christmas on Saturday, Nov. 29, Shriver encouraged them to look for gifts they could give to their siblings this year, a first-time idea for the youths.
It was a good day for them to be shopping, too, because several shops in Zelienople were offering deals for Small Business Saturday. The children were having a good time just browsing the toys in Room To Grow, a children’s store on Main Street.
“It’s a new concept for the kids — it’s the first year we’re having the kids buy each other gifts,” said Shriver, who lives in Zelienople and attends many of the borough’s events.
According to Robin Fleming, owner of Room To Grow, Small Business Saturday has for the past several years been a good day for business in the borough. The Zelienople Area Business Association also helps the shops on the day as well, this year by offering raffles that people could enter by bringing a receipt from a local business to the organization’s booth near the center of the borough. The prizes were gift cards donated by the local businesses.
Fleming said residents have come to make Small Business Saturday a tradition in Zelienople, and her shop usually sees a lot of traffic.
“People really enjoy it,” Fleming said. “I think people like to know they are supporting community businesses, and small towns are the place to come for that.”
Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 and has been cosponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011. It is meant to mirror Black Friday, by encouraging people to shop local at independent stores and businesses, rather than corporations or chains, according to the Small Business Administration.
Joel Grobe, president of the Zelienople Area Business Association, said people of Zelienople and the surrounding area don’t need much encouragement to support local businesses. On Saturday, he manned the association’s booth, where the raffles and hot chocolate were being offered.
Grobe said because Main Street is made up of small businesses, people often will spend the whole day shopping downtown.
“People know to come here for small business shopping,” Grobe said. “I can say for the past three or four years (Small Business Saturday) has been growing.”
It would be a long day for some shoppers, but there was plenty going on to keep them occupied. Aside from the raffles, businesses had specials on offer, like Elluinger's Meat & Deli, which was cooking up barbecue in front of its store, and C.T. McCormick Hardware, which had deals in its shop as well.
Sarah Klicker, of Cranberry Township, made a trip to Main Street on Saturday specifically to visit a recently opened store, Bricks & Minifigs, because her children enjoy Lego.
“My kids, they have been saving up their chore money to come here and buy Legos,” Klicker said. “This place is what brought us here.”
Bricks & Minifigs officially opened the previous Saturday, although its owner, Elliott Cramer, said he pushed to have the store’s soft opening before Zelienople Fall Festival. He said that although his business is a franchise, most of the Bricks & Minifigs shops are family-owned, which he said is an important element to tying a business to the community.
He added that small shops are what help make a community worth staying in.
“Zelienople is the perfect place to be,” Cramer said. “I’m excited for what Zelienople has done and what is happening here. We’re a bit of a destination, and I think when people want to invest in an area it makes people want to stay in that area.”
Grobe, too, said Zelienople has become a business hub for people looking to start out. In addition to Bricks & Minifigs, several other businesses were working their first Small Business Saturday this year.
The new businesses help keep the annual “holiday” fresh, and Grobe said many are happy to work with the Zelienople business association.
“Everything we do is a collaboration, and everyone here wants to collab,” Grobe said.
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Crystal Horan helps decorate the community tree for light up night during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Frank Baker, left, helps Crystal Horan decorate the community tree for light up night during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Jim Moser, left, helps Crystal Horan move a ladder to help decorate the community tree for light up night during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Cathy Baker works on a tree bow as she helps decorate the community tree for light up night during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Frank Baker fixes some limbs on the bottom of the tree to get it ready for light up night during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Sarah Klicker shows her daughter Audrey Klicker a window display at Bricks & Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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A line of people stand outside Bricks and Minifigs as crowds build inside during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Crowds of people walk down Zelienople’s sidewalks as they go from shop to shop during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Crowds of people walk down Zelienople’s sidewalks as they go from shop to shop during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Trish Miller and her son Jimmy Miller, 11, look at the active toy trains inside C.T. McCormick Hardware inside Zelienople during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Silas Shriver, 5, looks at books inside Room to Grow toy store during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Selah Shriver ,7, picks out some toys to look at inside Room to Grow toy store during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Silas Shriver, 5, picks out some toys to look at inside Room to Grow toy store during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Selah Shriver ,7, picks out some toys to look at inside Room to Grow toy store during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Finley Borkowski, 9, checks out some Legos inside a display case inside Bricks & Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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TJ Pasterik, 7, builds some Lego figurines inside Bricks & Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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TJ Pasterik, 7, builds some Lego figurines inside Bricks & Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Nadim Farhat hands his son Jude Farhat, 4, a Lego keychain to look at inside Bricks &Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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TJ Pasterik, 7, builds some Lego figurines inside Bricks & Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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TJ Pasterik, 7, builds some Lego figurines inside Bricks & Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Madison Pasterik, 6, builds some Lego figurines inside Bricks & Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Madison Pasterik, 6, looks at the window display with her dad Tom Pasterik, brother TJ Pasterik, 7, and grandfather Tom Pasterik outside Bricks & Minifigs during Small Business Saturday in downtown Zelienople on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
