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Businesses, people to come out for ‘Second Saturdays’

Photo Provided Food Truck Fridays in St. Clairsville have been successful through the pandemic. Now a “second Saturday” event will be held every month.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Main Street will be alive with extra activity on Fridays and Saturdays in the coming months, with Food Truck Fridays held weekly and to be followed by a Second Saturday event once a month.

Wendy Anderson, director of the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce, said events will continue well into fall, thanks to a generous grant.

“Our Second Saturday is sponsored by EQT and a grant from Belmont County Tourism,” she said. “It’ll be the second Saturday of every month of May, June, July, August, September and October.”

Throughout the pandemic, the chamber has held Friday events to stimulate business and community activity.

“We will be having food trucks in front of the courthouse (on Second Saturdays), just like we do on Food Truck Friday,” she said.

D.J. Daner will be playing music in front of the Belmont County Heritage Museum on the plaza on those Saturdays, while vendors will be out holding sidewalk sales of items and crafts.

The first Saturday event will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 8 and feature Mason Dixon BBQ and Jack’s Ice Cream as the food trucks.

Renee Storm will lead a wellness workout for children.

“She will have a bunch of kids doing some workout exercises on top of the plaza, and we will also have some live cartoon characters from Capes and Tiaras (out of Bellaire),” Anderson said.

Anderson said these events have made the community stand out.

“Our food truck Fridays have been extremely successful since we did it last year. When nobody else had anything, we had an event every Friday here in town, and we tried to do it every Saturday. What we found was that it was too much, so we decided to make it into one Saturday and we invited the St. Clairsville band. … Wheeling Symphony is going to be here in June.”

“All the high school bands are coming, and they’re going to perform,” she said.

The Belmont County Heritage Museum will also be putting on historical presentations.

“All the businesses will be open as normal, and we’re going to have sidewalk sales. We invited vendors to come and set up throughout town just like we’ve done every Friday,” she said. “Then we’re going to do a Second Saturday and give people the chance to show their wares.

“It’s very successful because the businesses will be able to open up their doors during at least summertime. We’re trying to bring more people into downtown St. Clairsville on Saturdays because it’s always been a struggle, so that’s why we are planning all these activities.”

Participating businesses are welcome to join.

“If they want to put a table out, they can do that. They just have to call us and let us know what they want so we can place them,” Anderson said. “They just can’t come and do it on their own. We need to place them.”

The chamber can be reached at 740-695-9623. The website is stcchamber.com.

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