Butler Farm Show hosts first autumn crafts festival
CONNOQUENESSING TWP — A month and a half after the conclusion of the Butler Farm Show, the grounds came back to life over the weekend of Sept. 20 through Sept. 22 for the first Arts and Crafts Autumn Festival.
The organizers, the Family Festivals Association, are based in Greensburg, and regularly run events in the southwest part of Pennsylvania. However, according to show manager Trisha Cusick, this is the first time they’ve journeyed into Butler County, and they hope to come back often.
“The response from the community has been just absolutely embracing and welcoming,” Cusick said. “We're hoping to be able to build on this each year to be able to return for a fall festival in September each year.”
The festival featured art and goods ranging from painting to pottery, from jewelry to sports memorabilia, and from home decor to candles.
“I have a few vendors here that are also carrying some Christmas stuff for the early planners,” Cusick said. “We have metal art, we have flags, we have photography.”
One of the 100+ exhibitors this weekend is Davis & Davis, a gourmet food vendor based out of Allison Park who routinely frequents shows such as this one. Items such as dip mixes, cocktail mixes, and popcorn were offered at their booth.
“I retired young at 38 and moved to Pittsburgh,” said owner Ken Davis, who started the company 25 years ago after leaving the toy and hobby industry. “I decided I didn't want to sit on the sofa anymore, so I started making jam with my grandma's recipe, and that's how we got started.”
Another food vendor was Spectrum Fudge — so named because it was formed as a way to create employment opportunities for those on the autism spectrum.
“My wife and I have a son who's 14 years old, who's on the autism spectrum,” said Roger Haney, founder of Spectrum Fudge. “The unemployment and underemployment rate for these individuals is about 85%, so I decided to kind of start my own company to give him an opportunity to work when he's older.
“In the meantime, we're partnering with nine different high schools in the area, as well as adults on the autism spectrum and other disabilities.”
Cusick says that Haney and Spectrum Fudge aren’t the only vendors at the show who are looking out for a higher cause.
“One of our vendors here...she does paintings and then donates a very substantial portion of their proceeds to veterans’ causes,” Cusick said. “It's not just that these are some of the smallest of the small businesses that people can come and support, but some of those small businesses also have altruistic or philanthropic endeavors that they support through their art.”
Saturday and Sunday promise even more activities, with live music from the Butler County Symphony Orchestra’s Jazz Quartet and Brass Quartet on Saturday, as well as the Patio Drive Band and Greater Harmony Chorus on Sunday. Both days will also feature horse-drawn wagon rides and a petting zoo.
“We hope to see everybody at the festival so that we're able to return annually, and enjoy this beautiful countryside at a time of the year that is just exquisite,” Cusick said.
