If you have visited Emlenton recently, you are in on one of Venango County’s best kept secrets. This small borough, with a population of about 600 full-time residents, is experiencing a bit of a boom in the growth of its downtown business community. Sitting at the far corner of Venango County, Emlenton has been home to several long-time Chamber members, who recognize the value of connecting across the region. For those traveling across Interstate 80, the borough is truly a gateway to Venango County and an exit well work taking, for a stop at one of the eateries, the coffee shop, a night over at the B&B, or for a more scenic drive for those headed north.

For all these reasons and more, Emlenton is a very worthy location for the first session of the Leadership Venango nine-month program. The class of twelve leaders began their day with a tour of Hickman Lumber, learning about the company’s commitment to sustainable forestry and seeing the start of what would become the Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring, now being installed all over the world. Jake Hickman provided the morning tour and the class met Denny Hickman at the showroom.

Dixie Gordon (pictured) provided a tour of the growing downtown business district, with stops at several businesses along the way. Dixie, owner of Amazing Stitches, shared the story of her business and then showed how she is working with other downtown businesses in recently opening a wine bar and ice cream shop.

A stop at the coffee shop, which opened last year under the same ownership a Emlenton Brew Haus, provided another perspective of business in a small town.

Along with a few locals who stopped by, we had the chance to visit with a customer who previously traveled to Emlenton from out of state, as a halfway point to meet a friend for a biking excursion. He had such a relaxing visit that he now returns to Emlenton for a few quiet days now and then.

When asked about the impact of bike trails and visitors, business owners confirmed that this infusion of visitors is what inspired them to open or expand.

During the class’s lunch at Little Its, Debbie Sobina, Vice President of the Oil Region Alliance shared how her organization has been invested in several properties, including a riverfront development project and the management of the Crawford Center, the location for the Leadership class’s afternoon speaker.

Once again, we were reminded of the wonderful assets of this small town, with the reuse of this historic school building. In addition to being home to the Emlenton Borough Offices and several non-profits, the 300+ seat auditorium holds great potential for current and future programs and performances.

Fall is a particularly spectacular time to make the drive to and from Emlenton, especially by way of Rt 38, with its rolling hills and majestic fall foliage. Our day ended with a visit to Baytree Farm, where owner Warren Thomas introduced us to his lambs and several of us loaded up with pumpkins.

If it’s been a while since you’ve visited Emlenton, we strongly suggest you carve out a plan to stop by soon.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s November 2023 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.