Tough Decision Allows Restaurant Owner to Enjoy First ALF Parade in 26 Years

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published September 29, 2014 4:45 am
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county seat
CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — For the first time in 26 years, one Clarion woman was able to spend Saturday enjoying the annual Autumn Leaf Festival Parade without working.

Mary Lenhart, owner of the popular County Seat Restaurant on Main Street, decided to close on parade day so her employees could enjoy the parade and other ALF activities.

“I was approached by staff to consider closing it, so they could enjoy it with family,” said Lenhart. “After much prayer and thinking about how hard we all work throughout the year, I agreed.”

Not only did the store close Saturday, it didn’t open last Sunday for the annual car show.

Food and the Autumn Leaf Festival are synonymous and local restaurants compete with transient food vendors to attract the thousands and thousands of visitors to Clarion for the nine day event.  Some of the food vendors have even been known to set up early.

The event also prompts frequent discussion around town about the amount of money earned by the visiting food vendors that eventually leaves town and the competition with established restaurants that employ local people, pay taxes, and support local activities.

“I do not have a problem with the vendors,” said Lenhart.  “They pay a lot of money to be here and are just trying to make a living same as us. It does hurt our business through the week, but there is plenty to go around on the weekend. There’s enough business for everyone.”

Judging by the capacity crowd and lines out the door waiting to get in to the “Seat” Friday morning during the annual Farmers and Crafters Day, business was good.

The decision to close during two days of ALF was not made lightly, but Lenard admits she was looking forward to finally not working and watching the parade and meeting with some of her “kids,” the hundreds of students who worked for her over the years and return to Clarion for Homecoming.

dana troeseDana Troese, owner of Daddy’s Main Street (photo above), also thinks the food stands are very important to the overall success of ALF.

“They add to the carnival atmosphere as well as feed thousands of the hungry crowd quickly,” said Troese.  “Clarion does not have the infrastructure (food wise) to take care of everyone, so some outside help is needed.”

The influx of crowds for the main events such as Farmers and Crafters Day and Parade Day can attract well over 100,000 people each day and bring special problems with that many people.  Parking is one of them and making parking available has also become of “cottage industry” with many churches and booster groups, along with private residents, selling parking spaces on any available piece of ground whether it is lawns or unused parking lots.  Depending on the location, prices can range between five and ten dollars.

Along with humongous numbers of visitors consuming food and drinks, comes the need for public facilities.  Local restaurants often limit their restroom use for customers.

“We need the food stands in the same way we need the extra toilets,” said Troese. “We do not have enough food stands or toilets to take care of the crowd.”

Licensed food vendors come in all shapes and sizes, some with a direct local affiliation like the Knights of Columbus Hot Sausage and Kettle Korn Stand, other local organizations permitting their name to be used and getting a percentage from the stand owners, and the vast number of professional food stands.

In the earlier days of ALF, food stands consisted of basic items and people would eat along the way or on tables provided at the Clarion County Memorial Park that also house some of the carnival attractions.

The variety and quality of the food vendors has also improved over the years, bringing more competition for some local restaurants.  Add to the mix, vendors bringing their own seating and umbrellas and the competition level increases.

Vendors typically pay a fee to the Clarion Chamber of Business and Industry and a permit fee to Clarion Borough for their nine-day location and the one-day Farmers and Crafters Day.

Despite the extensive planning required for such an event as the Autumn Leaf Festival, the weather is the ultimate factor as to how many people will attend.

Clarion was blessed with perfect weather on Friday and Saturday, attracting record crowds.

Crowds that included a certain bubbling little lady who got to watch her first parade in 26 years and not worry about that order on table three or if there was enough pie to finish the day.

 

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