Zelienople Fall Festival, Harmony Sleepy Hollow Festival return
Zelienople will celebrate the turn to autumn with its 40th annual Fall Festival this weekend, offering two full days of family fun, local commerce and community spirit.
The festivities are set to kick off Friday night with a themed block party, Nightmare Before Fall Fest, inspired by “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The event in the Spring Street parking lot will feature live music, scavenger hunts, a family movie screening and a kids zone to get the weekend started.
The main festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, along Main Street and at Four Corners Park, where most vendors and activities will be set up. Visitors can expect a chili cookoff Saturday, sidewalk sales and plenty of local shopping and dining options.
While Four Corners Park will host food vendors serving fair favorites like funnel cakes, local restaurants and cafes along Main Street will offer seasonal specials and streetside service.
“We’re really focusing this year on our local businesses,” said Erika Shumaker, vice president of the Zelienople Business Association and co-owner of ShuBrew. “There are probably about 10 new storefronts in town, and this will be the first Fall Festival for many of them. We really want to showcase what Zelienople and Harmony have to offer.”
The Zelienople Fall Festival, Shumaker noted, continues to bring together residents, visitors and small businesses for a weekend that highlights connection and everything that the Zelienople community has been building in recent years.
“It’s all about bringing people together and supporting local,” Shumaker said. “Especially now, we need events like this.”
Parking is free throughout town, with several local churches and businesses providing additional lots.
On Saturday, nearby Harmony also will hold its 13th annual Sleepy Hollow Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11.
The event promises to include food, live music, a pet fair at Wood Street Park and carriage rides, as well as costume contests for children and pets.
The pet fair fundraiser benefits My Dog’s Park, located on Spring Street, which has a target opening later this year. Harmony’s My Dog's Care Center in partnership with Paws with Purpose Community Association are working to make the new dog park a reality.
A new addition in recent years is a free shuttle service connecting downtown Zelienople and neighboring Harmony, allowing revelers to explore both communities’ celebrations.
The partnership marks a renewed effort to unite the two towns, which historically marketed and hosted the two festivals separately.
The family-friendly festival is free to attend and will be located along Mercer Street in Harmony. Parking is available in various municipal lots throughout the town and on the streets.
