Historic borough brims with festivalgoers
HARMONY — Grinning goblins and craft connoisseurs traversed the streets of the borough in droves Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, as young and old alike found something to eat, drink, buy or do at the 10th Annual Sleepy Hollow Festival.
The bright sunshine and mild fall temperatures brought hundreds out to the event in Harmony from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A white carriage pulled by two white horses picked riders up at Grace Church of Harmony, and musicians filled the town square with music.
Shops and historic buildings flung open their doors, while delighted shoppers carried home many and varied treasures.
“We bought a lot of sweets and wine,” said Julie Wetzel, of Pittsburgh, who found the Sleepy Hollow Festival on Google.
Asked what she thought of the quaint borough that was built by the austere Harmonists in the 1800s, Wetzel had a two-word reply.
“It’s adorable,” she said.
She and her sister attend several festivals in the Western Pennsylvania area.
“They’re fun, and you get to try new places,” Wetzel said. “We would never have come here if it weren’t for the festival.”
Her sister, Lisa Wetzel, liked that many of the activities at the festival raised funds for the Butler County Humane Society, and that all the shops were open in addition to the vendors.
Lisa agreed that Harmony is a very colorful town.
“I would love to come back,” she said. “It’s very charming.”
Megan Sinan and her fiance, Matt Dwyer, both of Zelienople, brought their high-spirited golden retriever, Schuyler, to the Sleepy Hollow Festival.
“She just wants to play with all the kids and other dogs,” Dwyer said.
After grabbing a coffee, the couple planned to explore the many vendors set up outside as well as inside Harmony Museum.
Both think the festival is an important one for the borough.
“It brings people in from out of town to experience a family-friendly event,” Sinan said.
Kara Trettel, of Wexford, came with a group of family members that included three youngsters dressed up in their best black and orange outfits to mark the season.
“It’s something fun to do with the family,” Trettel said of the festival.
She planned to grab some goodies and take the kids on a carriage ride while perusing the vendors.
“We’ll explore until the kids get tired,” Trettel said.
M.J. McCurdy, chair of the Sleepy Hollow Festival for its entire decade of existence, greeted the many friends and neighbors who passed by her art shop, Bottlebrush Gallery.
McCurdy said the most popular event at the festival is always the pet costume contest, followed by the children’s and teen versions.
New at the festival this year was the pumpkin race, in which participants purchase a numbered pumpkin for $5 to roll down the hill from the Mercer Street bridge to Wood Street Park.
The owner of the first gourd to hit the waters of the Connoquenessing Creek won a cool $100. A festival committee member who is an avid kayaking enthusiast scooped the winning pumpkin from the chilly waters to determine the winner.
Pet bingo, wine tasting, fairy hair weaving, a fleatique, museum tours and a weaving demonstration were just some of the other activities that delighted Sleepy Hollow Festivalgoers Saturday.
“It brings people together,” said McCurdy. “It builds community, and that’s what we’re all about.”
