Crowds gather in Zelienople at Thursday’s Open Air Market.
Source: Julia Maruca/Butler Eagle
The cute, quaint town of Zelienople, PA was founded over 200 years ago. It’s a place full of history with a small-town feel. According to the most recent U.S. Census, % change in population from 2010-2020 growth in adjacent Jackson township grew 34%. Southwestern Butler County is going to continue to grow because it’s a desirable area. The location and access points to the turnpike, to Interstate 79 and 80 make it attractive. The whole area’s just a desirable place where everybody wants to be.
In its most recent years, the town of Zelienople located next to Jackson Township has been undergoing a revitalization that is bringing in fresh life and new, friendly faces. The small town of Zelienople has everything you need within walking distance. From delis, pharmacies, auto repair, and restaurants to shoe, clothing, and toy stores, Zelie has something for everyone!
There are many local Zelienople events year-round. One of the most popular are Thursday evenings in the summer months, Zelienople has their Open Air Market that showcases our shops with sidewalk sales and vendors and makes it a fun time to ‘shop local.’ Every December, we look forward to our town’s largest community event of the year, Miracle on Main Street. It’s a wonderful time for the Zelienople community to come together and be able to give to those in need. Last year, Marion Smile Center helped give hundreds of warm coats and hats to children and teens in need in Butler County. It is a magical event with a parade, carriage rides, visits with Santa, and a ton of free activities for the kids.
Add Horse Trading Days in the Summer, Patriotic Holiday Parades down Main Street, and October Fest and it’s easy to see how this hometown feel of Zelienople has charmed residents and visitors alike. There’s been an explosion of restaurants including an ice cream shop, deli, and winery on our Main Street. It’s become a hub for the people of Zelienople, Harmony, Cranberry, and the surrounding communities of Southwestern Butler County.
Marion Smile Center “Does Good”
Each year for the past six (6) years, the team from Marion Smile Center has selected a worthy local organization to raise money for. During this six year period, Marion Smile Center has contributed over $80,000 since 2016 to our local Zelienople community and children’s charities. What we do is whiten teeth for a four (4) month period each year (March 1st – June 30th) and ALL 100% of the whitening fees go directly to the charities. That’s right, we keep nothing and the selected charity receives 100%
In 2016 and again this year, 2022, our Marion Smile Center team selected the Zelienople Public Library as its annual charity recipient. Our Zelienople dentist office has raised over $21,000 in these two (2) years to benefit the library. Our littlest patients, children, are near and dear to our hearts and we are so happy that we are able to good for our community while supporting a place where young minds can grow and imaginations can soar!
The Zelienople Library received a donation of a piece of property located next to the existing library. The library then asked local leaders, like Dr. Mark A. Marion, DMD, FAGD, to contribute to the charity fund to build a 3,000 sq. ft. addition on to the existing library to house a new Children’s Library Wing, technology area and restrooms. Dr. Marion pledged $10,000 over three (3) years to make that happen. We are well on our way to raising Dr. Marion’s pledged money to the library.
In 2017, Marion Smile Center, with the help of our amazing local Zelienople community, raised $14,000 to benefit the Zelienople Community Pool. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this local pool yet, you must soon! This family friendly pool is amazing for all ages and creates lasting memories for the kids. We are so glad we were able to help contribute to such a fun addition for the people of Zelienople and its surrounding areas.
In 2018, Dr. Mark Marion and his team raised $15,000 to benefit the Zelienople Community Park. Our main goal was to donate money to purchase adaptive playground equipment for children with special needs. Not only do children of all ages and needs get to enjoy the playground, but they also get to ride on our awesome skate park, play in the baseball fields, walk on the beautiful trails, and so much more!
In 2019, Marion Smile Center raised $16,500 to benefit the local fire department, Harmony Fire District 22. We were able to cover the cost of a much-needed thermal imaging camera to help our firefighters locate people and pets in smoky buildings and in car accidents. We save teeth, they save lives. They are heroes to us at Marion Smile Center. When a recent rain storm flooded parts of Zelienople, including our dental office building basement, the firefighters came to help us remove the water from our basement. With their help, we were back up and running within a day. Thank you to our volunteer Zelienople-Harmony Firefighters!
In 2020, we raised $10,500 towards a dental humanitarian trip that benefits children and families in need of dental care. This trip was postponed due to COVID, but we are looking to help the families in need by this years end. We just agreed to help out the charity, Remote Medical Access (RAM) this October to reach those in the Memphis, TN area. We will staff the dental clinic for a weekend providing free dental care for those who cannot afford it.
Last year, in 2021, Marion Smile Center’s team helped raise $15,000 to benefit our local Zelienople Harmony Food Bank also known as the Southwest Butler Food Cupboard. The timing for this was much needed following COVID as the families in need nearly doubled in our area. We were able to help feed an additional 150 families for 3 months, along with fund the money needed to purchase additional shelving for those increased supplies.
Best Dentist in Zelienople, PA
As you can see, the Harmony Zelienople Community is extremely giving and helpful. Dr. Marion at Marion Smile Center helps carry that generosity through year after year having touched thousands of children and families. We are a tight knit community that thrives off of bettering the lives of others.
If you need anything from whitening, dental implants in Zelienople, dental cleanings, and dental veneers, to a pediatric dentist in Zelienople, Dr. Mark Marion and his team are eager to help you have a healthy, beautiful smile! You can feel at ease at our dental office while receiving top-notch relaxing, comfortable care. Call Marion Smile Center at 724.452.4300 or click here to reserve a time to visit your local Zelienople dentist. To learn more about Family or Pediatric Dentistry in the Harmony Zelienople, PA area, click here. To learn more about charities that we do good for, click here.
