Innkeeper's Blog

Motorcycle Leather

Antiques, Collectibles and Jewelry

Amish Furniture

Fine Ladies Clothing

Paul and Sally McKissick have opened 9-Main Shoppes at the corner of Route 58 and Main Street in Foxburg. They purchased the old bank building and have turned it into a many faceted retail center.

Their goal is to provide visitors to Foxburg with an interesting browsing and shopping experience.

Since many visitors to Foxburg come on their motorcycles, the McKissicks decided to offer a variety of leather goods from Spider’s Den. These products are made of the highest quality leather and guaranteed to offer many years of service. Special orders are available.

Those interested in antiques, collectibles and jewelry will find a wide range of goods ranging from Roseville Pottery, glassware, toys, pinback buttons, advertising materials, and new and vintage jewelry.

If you enjoy the comfort and sturdiness of real wood furniture you will find it at 9-Main Shoppes.

The Amish line includes rockers, love seats, end tables, benches and many other items.

Amy’s Closet has a line of attractive, comfortable women’s clothing at reasonable prices.

Paul and Sally have many years of experience in meeting and working with the public and they look forward to greeting and visiting with bikers, collectors and browsers.

The hours are Friday—12 to 4, Saturday—10-4, Sunday—10 to 4, or by appointment. They can be reached at 724 659 0107 or email at smckissick@embarqmail.com

Halloween Happenings in Foxburg

The Allegheny Grille will be having a Halloween Party on

Octrober 31^st.

Here’s the information from their website, www.visitfoxburg.com.

Ha llow een Freak ish Fu n!

Join Us October 31st
8pm – 11
Costume Contests, Prizes, Live Entertainment, Tarot Card Readings, Deadly Drinks and Eerie Eats.
Call us for more details 724 659 570 1.

We have a few rooms available for October 30^th and 31^st.

Bring your friends and make it a weekend of Halloween Freakish Fun!

Book a room online or call us at 724 659 3116 or 724 659 3117.

Three years ago, author and big thinker Seth Godin wrote Small Is the New Big. In that book he tells about the advantages of small businesses and how they are more adaptable to changing times. Today many folks are going the “small” route with smaller homes, smaller cars, and simpler lifestyles.

We believe small weddings are a part of this sensible trend and offer many advantages to the wedding couple.

During the past few months we’ve promoted the benefits of small weddings in Foxburg. It appears to be catching on, because this past weekend we hosted four small weddings, and we have five more
scheduled in the next few weeks. Small is the New Big!

We’ve learned from the couples we’ve helped get married. First, they appreciate that there’s no hassle. They call us with several dates that work for them, to check whether a king room or a suite is available. Once the room or suite is booked, they get the license, contact a celebrant, and make arrangements for a small dinner reception, usually at the neighboring Allegheny Grille.

Often our Mayor, Dick Garrard, is the celebrant. Dick brings a light hearted, kind approach to his duties. At other times the couple brings their own celebrant.

With the typical average cost of the large wedding being about $25,000.00, several couples have told us they’re saving money for a down payment on a home instead of spending it on getting married. Other folks just don’t have the funds for a large wedding; they tell us we make it possible for them to have a beautiful, romantic ceremony without stress, confusion, and large expense.

We hear certain questions frequently:

“Can we have music?” Sure, bring your own or we can help you book local musicians.

“Is there a local florist?” Yes, there are several nearby, and we can provide a list for you.

“Can we take pictures?” Yes, you can have a friend or a professional take them, we can take them, and there are several very good professional photographers in the area.

“We’re planning an outdoor wedding, if it rains, do we have a plan B?” Yes, we have several indoor venues ideal for small weddings.

“Can we have a small reception on the river deck?” Yes, often couples rent a suite that opens out on to the riverdeck and their guests rent the other five rooms that open out to the deck. Suite #103 becomes a base for the bride before the wedding, during the reception often a small bar is set up, and later the couple spend the night there.

“Can we put a tent on the river deck?” Yes, there’s a local rental company that can provide one. Our
only requirement is that no stakes be pounded into the river deck floor.

“Can we have a wedding for less than $1000.00, $500.00, or $250.00?” We provide the lodging and
wedding venue at a wedding rate. The rest is up to your budget and imagination.

“What’s your definition of a small wedding?” Often, we’ve hosted just the bride and groom as guests at the inn. Other couples have booked the whole inn for their wedding party and guests. The guest list then is around forty to sixty people. We still consider this a small wedding.

We can make your wedding day very special without hassle and by keeping within your budget.

Wow! Cooperation works!

It’s a given that businesses need to reach out in order to succeed.

A year ago we joined four Chambers of Commerce, Butler, Clarion, Franklin and Venango.  Foxburg happens to be geographically situated in the middle of the areas served by these Chambers.  Last winter Stan Kosciuszko, Executive Director of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce,  suggested a Cooperative mixer with the other Chambers. A tentative date of Wednesday August 12, 2009 was set. Tracy Becker of the Clarion Chamber of Commerce, Lynn Cochran of the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, and Susan Williams of the Venango County Chamber of Commerce all pitched in with enthusiasm to spread the word to their members.

On the home front we enlisted the help of our business partners in Foxburg. Scott Kuhn, owner of the  Allegheny Grille, Debby Mullen, manager of the Foxburg Wine Cellars, Vab and Melissa of Divani Chocolates, and Steve and Georgine Moores of Foxburg Pizza and Country Store all agreed to provide refreshments and door prizes. Then Bruce Knight, the local Segway dealer, Dick Garrard of Parker Canoe, and Dave Middleton and Mike Gardner offered door prizes for activities.

Since this was a first effort at such an event the concern was “What if nobody comes?” A week before the mixer, the Executive Directors sent a preliminary count of about 125 members coming. By the weekend the number was going up and up until it was well over 200.

When the day came the folks started coming and coming. There are estimates the crowd was over 300. Everyone had a great time eating, drinking, and socializing. The door prizes includes gift certificates, baskets, rounds of golf as well as Segway and Canoe trip.

When we developed our website we spent quite a bit of effort trying to define Foxburg. We came up with “Where chance meets charm”. There is a “serendipity” about Foxburg. Often visitors come and meet old friends and renew relations. Sometimes the glance at a name tag starts a conversation that leads to a business or social relationship. The Chamber Mixer was an excellent example of what we had in mind. Thanks to everyone who made it possible.

The Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts has announced its First Annual Scottish Festival, at the picturesque Riverstond Farm, here in Foxburg, PA.

The event will be on Saturday, August 15, from 9am to 5pm. There will also be a festival kickoff the night before, Friday August 14, with outdoor ceilidh by Carl Peterson, at 7pm in downtown Foxburg.

Activities will include:

• Scottish athletics — caber toss and more
• Sheep dog herding demonstrations
• Special children’s programs
• Clan tents
• Pipe bands
• Traditional Scottish music
• Face painting
• Horse-drawn carriage rides and waggonette rides
• Opportunities to see Highland and Galloway cattle
• Food and vendor tents

It’s sure to be a fun day for the entire family. Join us and be Scottish for a day!

Entry fee: $5 per person, children under 12 free

For more information, including directions and more, please download the Scottish Festival Flyer and visit the Allegheny Riverstone Center for the Arts website.

Small, Intimate, Free Wedding Sites …….Now available at the Foxburg Inn.

Building on our theme that Small Weddings are a sensible approach to that very important day, we have decided to offer our outdoor facilities to couples free for their wedding.

This space includes the river deck facing the Allegheny River, the small bridge between the Allegheny Grille
and the Foxburg Inn Hotel as well as the shaded areas in the garden.

There are also several nice nearby outdoor venues in the community that may offer the right touch. For example, there is a beautiful garden behind the Red Brick and the Bank Building. The Green between the Winery and the Library is nice also.

For a unique site you might consider getting married under the new Foxburg Bridge, a scenic area along the bike trail including the Bridge at the mouth of the Clarion River, or on the Patio at the Foxburg Wine Cellar.

In case of rain or if you’re planning a winter wedding, we can accommodate a small ceremony on third floor of the Hotel. For a small fee beautiful Lincoln Hall is available for groups of up to seventy people.

Of course, most weddings are held on weekends, but weekday weddings can provide the peace and calm often sought for a romantic experience. We can provide a Celebrant or you can bring your own.

Let us help you plan your small, intimate wedding.

We’re looking forward to an upcoming business networking event here at the Foxburg Inn. Members of the Butler County, Clarion, Franklin and Venango Area Chambers of Commerce are holding a joint after-hours mixer on our beautiful river deck.

The event will be on Wednesday, August 12, from 5:30 to 7:30pm, right here at the Foxburg Inn.

Food and drinks will be served, including samplings of wine, chocolate, and appetizers. There will be prize giveaways, including a Golf Package, Girlfriend Getaway Package, Foxburg Wine Basket, and more.

The event is free to all members of participating chambers — contact your chamber to make a reservation. Download a flyer for more details (PDF format).

We look forward to meeting our fellow businesses!

Recently we’ve hosted several small weddings ranging in size from just the bride, groom, and celebrant to small groups of up to thirty in attendance. Certainly the economy has something to do with it, and some folks just can’t afford a large wedding with several hundred guests.

On the other hand, many young people are cost conscious, choosing to save their money for a down payment on a home or some other important reason. With the average wedding in this country costing about $25,000.00 there is ample room for savings.

Our small weddings have cost the new couple anywhere from just a few hundred dollars to just a few thousand dollars depending on the brides attire, the number and type of rooms and the after wedding reception or dinner. Many couples have a small reception or dinner at the Allegheny Grille or a light catered affair on our river deck.

Our couples have sometimes used our Mayor as the celebrant or brought their own minister. Often they have a friend or two who will either sing, play instruments and read scripture or poems.

Foxburg has many venues for small, beautiful weddings. We’ve had couples marry on the hotel’s river deck overlooking the Allegheny River. Others have wed on the bridge connecting the hotel and The Allegheny Grille restaurant. Some have chosen one of the various beautiful water treatments or gardens. Lincoln Hall, our local churches and the Foxburg Country Club are very nice settings for small indoor weddings.

If you’re planning to get married and want a small, economical, but beautiful wedding, we can help. Contact us and we will do our best to make your special day a wonderful experience you will treasure.

We’re delighted to see our friends Divani Chocolate profiled on PA travel blog The Savvy Grouse: “Chocolate and Coffee in a forgotten millionaire’s playground.”

The wonderful post is written by Michael Dittman, a local writer who also maintains Venangago-go, a culture and events blog covering Northwestern PA, with “interviews, reviews, and free and legal music downloads.”

Spring has arrived in Foxburg.

Last weekend the first Horseshoes for Life tournament was a success at RiverStone Farm. The Clarion University team won the tournament from a field of nine teams. The Bike Trail was filled with hikers and bikers. The Foxburg Country Club opened the golf course and we had some folks from Canada take advantage of our “Stay and Play” Package.

There have been Canoes and Kayaks on the Allegheny and Clarion Rivers and some folks Fishing from the shores. The Segway Guided Tours are now up and running again on RiverStone Farm. Saturday brought many Motorcycles to the Foxburg Wine Cellar, Allegheny Grille and the Foxburg Pizza and Country Store.

On Saturday, April 18th ARCA will present Spring Fling, a Classical Cabaret at Lincoln Hall featuring Eric Siepkes on the fabulous Steinway piano. Dinner begins at 7PM followed by the concert. Tickets are $40.00 per person and may be purchased at the front desk of the Foxburg Inn Hotel. Call 724 659 3116 for more information or to buy tickets.

Nothing lights up the brain like play.

Play, especially social play, is important, and even practical, in our lives. Check out this video of Dr. Stuart Brown presenting at the TED Conference in May 2008. Dr. Brown has done significant research on the merits of play as major factor leading to success in both children and adults.

Foxburg is a Playground for many recreational activities. Explore the TED website and the National Institute for Play to learn more about Dr. Brown and his findings. And then explore more opportunities to play in your life.

Get smarter, feel better, play more at home and in Foxburg!