Foodie Fridays, Moon Markets return to downtown Butler
Foodie Fridays and Moon Markets have returned to downtown Butler this summer, kicking off May 20 with three remaining events scheduled every third Friday of each month through August.
Future dates are June 17, July 15 and Aug. 19. Both events occur simultaneously from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Foodie Fridays are planned in the public parking lot on Main Street between First English Lutheran Church, 241 N. Main, and the Peoples Natural Gas building, 205 N. Main. Food trucks are parked up in the lot, selling a variety of food, beer and desserts. There is also live music.
Foodie Fridays began in 2017, the brainchild of then-Mayor Ben Smith. He passed the torch to Butler Downtown. The nonprofit’s volunteers have organized and executed the Friday night since.
"(Smith) started it as a way to help local businesses and to showcase what downtown has to offer," said Jeff Geibel, president of Butler Downtown. "It became an instant success."
The food trucks offer such fare as gyros, tacos, chicken and waffles, hot dogs, burgers, bagels, shaved ice, ice cream, crepes, cookies and cakes. Local breweries also sell beer. Vendors May 20 included Recon Brewing, Butler Brew Works, Mandy's Cookie Co., Nedal Gyro, Mixtape Street Eats, StudeCakers, Herold's Original Kettle Corn and The Snowman.
"People really seem to look forward to it," Geibel said. "Some even bring camp chairs to hang out and listen to live music while they sample good food."
Moon Markets takes place along the sidewalks of Main Street downtown, starting on the corner of Cunningham and running north. The markets offer a curated mix of between 35 and 40 vendors selling only handmade and artisan goods that have included upcycled planters, jewelry, pottery, hand-dyed yarn and charcuterie boards and pens made by a woodworker.
Thirty-eight vendors participated in the May 20 market, including White Dragon Apothecary, Freshly Foraged (which makes elderberry syrup, rose hip lip balm and natural salves), Wander Witch Way, PGH Smell Goods Co., Madcraft Apothecaries, Dutch's Reclaimed Wood Design, Opal & Onyx Handmade Designs, Roaming Daisies, Dyed Rogue Yarns, and Basement Studios of Sharpsville (which creates hand-beaded pillows with Halloween themes — think Edgar Allan Poe and Jack-o’-lanterns!).
The markets coincide with Foodie Fridays by design.
"The two events feed off each other," said Patty Schorr, who started Moon Markets last year with jewelry artist Emmalee Herndon. She says the plan was “to bring more people to our city so they could experience the great shops and restaurants Butler has to offer."
Schorr said last year's debut markets were "a hit" and decided to do it again this summer. "People enjoyed it so much," she said. "We don't have any idea how many people actually attended, but the street was packed with people who came to check it out and to shop and eat."
