By Lauryn Longacre, Staff Writer
The Selinsgrove Market Street Festival celebrated 41 years of bringing the community together from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 28. along Market Street. The event began in 1978, bringing in local vendors and community members to promote local businesses and celebrate the turn of the season.
Nearly 10,000 people attended the festival to visit over 650 food and craft vendors.
Food vendors served some of central Pennsylvania’s favorite foods including fresh-squeezed lemonade, homemade whoopie pies and butter-soaked perogies, as well as samples provided by local restaurants.
Local retail stores were also among the crowd of vendors, selling items such as all-natural handmade vegan-friendly soaps and body scrubs, hand-crafted handbags made from recycled military tents and uniforms and handmade jewelry and art pieces.
There were also activities and games open for all ages to participate in.
A popular attraction is the pottery making booth hosted by Selinsgrove Area High School art teacher Katie Burns. Other activities included basketball shooting, face painting and caricature drawings. Some festival-goers, including Susquehanna students and alumni, have been attending the fair for a few years.
Susquehanna junior and Selinsgrove resident Makayla Peachy has been going to the fair since seventh grade.
Her favorite part of the festival is the Bongo Bongo Chicken Sandwich from the BJ’s restaurant vendor. Peachy said that she loved running into old friends and educators.
Senior Grace Tesoro said she’d attended the festival twice before in 2016 and 2018. “I like the sense of community that Selinsgrove has, just everybody coming out and just lining the street,” Tesoro said. “Everybody is so friendly.”
Tesoro said that the festival offers a fresh view of Selinsgrove. “It’s a great place, it’s a great vibe … you get a deeper sense of community and also just having fun,” she said.
However, for some Susquehanna students, this year was their first year coming to the street festival.
Another Susquehanna junior and Selinsgrove resident James Hornberger attended the fair with WQSU, who played music at the event.
“This was actually my first time,” Hornberger said. “It was a lot of fun it was definitely a really good way to see the different businesses … I really enjoyed just the whole menagerie of different people that were there.” Hornberger said his favorite part of the festival was getting to see all of the pet dogs and eating for the first time at Wicked Dog Grille.
The market festival will be held once again next year and is to the public.
