Carly Masiroff / The Clarion Call

CLARION, Pa., October 4 – Autumn Leaf Festival (ALF) brings hundreds of people and vendors to the area every year.
In order to have a successful and safe ALF every year, much work and preparation must go into planning the festival before, during and after.

With the surge of people in Clarion for the celebration, the University, Borough and State Police are naturally on a higher level of security.

“When there are more people in town, obviously you have to step up security measures just as a precaution,” said Chief of University Police Glen Reid.

Chief Reid said that when events such as this are in town, University Police added extra officers to each shift. The normal number of officers per shift, Reid explained, is two to three.

Chief Reid also said that the University Police concentrated mainly on the campus grounds and university students.
Towards the end of the week, some campus police were asked to pair up with Clarion Borough police to make patrols around town.

Chief Reid felt confident about how ALF went by saying, “It went good! We won!”

For the car show Saturday and Sunday, Main Street was closed off and filled with cars both antique and modern.

During Farmer’s and Crafter’s Day, the parade Saturday and for the nights of the carnival Main Street was also shut down.
Detours were set up on Wood and Liberty Streets. Throughout the entire week-long event, many of the side streets were blocked off for vendors.

Vendors also dotted the Court House lawn and Memorial Park.

Sidewalk sales went on all week and could be found at many shops and restaurants along Main Street.

“Being as it rained seven of the nine days, it affected the food vendors and the carnival,” said Larry Bussard, Director of Festivals and Events for the Clarion Area Chamber of Commerce, located on Sixth Avenue.

“But the sunny weather Saturday for the parade made it a great turn out and a definitely financially positive event,” said Bussard.