Depot Days draws crowd despite rainy day

By Lauren Lee 

For the Enquirer 

 Despite cloudy skies and a few showers, the 42nd annual Depot Days brought out thousands of people Saturday to enjoy the festival in downtown Hartselle.  

Among the vendors in attendance, Elijah and Leland Gosnell of Redeemer Ranch came out for their second time for the festivities.  

The brothers, who are 11 and 14, started selling homemade apple butter from their apple trees three years ago and said they enjoyed Depot Days so much last year that they knew they had to come back.  

“I love getting to talk to all the people and seeing their faces when they taste our apple butter and it’s just really fun to be out in the community. It’s the best apple butter you’ll ever taste,” Elijah said.  

“Last year was our first year to have a booth here at Depot Days. Before that we sold off our street at a table, but every year we learn something new. Like this year we learned to make waterproof labels because it rained on them. So it’s a learning process,” Leland said.  

The festival also brought out many first-time vendors that were pleased with the turnout despite the gray skies.  

Suzie Godsey of Clay by Suzie, a clay earrings vendor, said she loved how friendly everyone was, and enjoyed getting to meet all the new people.  

“It’s been wonderful. There’s been a good crowd and people are buying. We’ve got a lot of comments that people like my clay jewelry,” Godsey said.  

Wendy Couch of Rebel Rain Boutique shared similar sentiments, saying she and her sister enjoyed all the southern hospitality.  

“This is our first time here, it’s been fun. We like being social and being able to set up and show our merchandise and get to know the community. I think the crowds been really good. We did an event several weeks ago and there wasn’t near this many people,” Couch said.