YOUNGSTOWN — Carla Sampson walked with her daughters, Samantha and Sarah, up Mahoning Avenue on the West Side on Saturday afternoon sampling freshly cooked corn on the cob, picking pumpkins and talking to friends as they strolled through the sixth annual Mahoning Avenue Fall Fest.

With her eyes on the darkening skies, Sampson picked up some teas from a new coffee shop that is expected to have its grand opening in early 2023.

“I saw a story about this and decided to come over because I’ve always been a supporter of local Youngstown businesses,” she said.

Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, said the idea of the fest is, in part, to convince people that the West Side Youngstown neighborhood is transforming into a place that is growing and should be revisited as a place to open a new business and to shop.

It took place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday between McKinley Avenue and Steel Street.

“We started this eight years ago with a program called Better Block, which is something that started in Texas,” Ray said. “It was designed to show what the neighborhood could look like when it is flourishing. Its name was changed, but the goal remains to show off local businesses and the potential for development of the city’s West Side.

“We’ve seen some substantial investment that we believe may be a direct result of events like this,” Ray said. “We have new businesses that are opening, such as Trek Coffee and Voyager Beverages, as well as established businesses, such as Hackett’s Pub, that are supporting this.”

Ray said they will know this effort is a success when the neighborhood once again is seen as a walkable community where people know they can get a good cup of coffee or stop by a restaurant and get a meal.

“We a are making progress,” he said. “It is not perfect, but this is a solid neighborhood.”

Anthony Trevena, Western Reserve Port Authority, worked with the city to find transformative opportunities to turn vacant buildings into business opportunities.

The Port Authority, working with the Mahoning County Land Bank, as well as others, took two Mahoning Avenue buildings, installed new roofs and stabilized them, and worked to find new businesses to place in them.

Levi Smith, owner of Trek Coffee and Teas Cafe and Voyager Beverage, purchased two abandoned buildings and is working to finish the rehabilitation of them with the expectation of opening the businesses in Youngstown.

Smith purchased the buildings on a 1.4-acre site from the WRPA for $110,000. It acquired the property in 2020 from the Mahoning County Land Bank, which acquired the property in 2011.

Trek Coffee already has a cafe next to White House Fruit Farm in Canfield. The Youngstown location will be its second.

“We wanted to do something in Youngstown,” Jenna Binsley, who does the marketing for the company, said. “We do specialty coffees and teas and everyday Joe coffee.”

Carlos Ramirez, whose family has owned Casa Ramirez Mexican Restaurant, 1578 Mahoning Ave., for approximately 30 years, said the annual festival has been good in bringing in new customers into the family-owned business.

“It reminds people coming into the restaurant how the area used to look when my parents began the restaurant when it was OK,” Ramirez said. “Councilman Mike Ray and others are trying to let people know things can happen here on the West Side.”

Ramirez said the coffee shop and brewery will help to drive more foot traffic in the area.

“It is kind of hard when you’re the only restaurant,” he said. “People see that people are willing to come to the West Side.”

Shelli DelSignore, owner of Shelli’s Cookies, had an open tent on Mahoning Avenue. She has a home-based business.

“These festivals give us an outlet to reach more people,” DelSignore said.

Brittany Herring, owner of Purple Savage Apparel, an Epilepsy Awareness Clothing line, has been located on Mahoning Avenue since December.

Herring hopes the festival will introduce the clothing line to those who have not seen what they make. A second company, Toxic Tees and Spud Fit Brand, also sells leisure clothing and sportswear.

rsmtih@tribtoday.com