The hayride is a fun autumn activity to enjoy with your family or a group of friends, allowing you to enjoy the countryside, the changing colors of the leaves on the trees, and a beautiful sunset on a cool night. The activity isn’t as nearly as old as one might guess.

Hayrides have been around since the 19th century, when innovations in transportation allowed people from urban areas to vacation in the countryside. Farmhands would transport hay bales using horse-pulled wagons, and farmers conceived of the idea of the hayride in order to celebrate the arrival of the autumn season. More recently, they’re organized to make a little extra money for their farms during months that might see little to no activity.

In those days, visitors would sit atop the 15- or 20-foot-tall bales of hay piled onto the cart pulled by the horse – sounds like a recipe for accidents, doesn’t it? In the decades following, they would simply sit on a surface strewn with straw, the carts now pulled by tractors.

“Back in the day, especially in small-town America, there were family farms everywhere. If you didn’t live on a farm, you almost certainly had an uncle, neighbor, or friend who did,” writes a blogger who only calls herself ‘Staz’ and manages storiesbystaz.com. “They’d fire up the tractor, hook it to a wagon, and throw on a few bales of hay or straw for seating, and you were good to go.”

Much like a trip to the beach, after which you’d end up finding sand in your clothing for days, hayrides offered a similar pitfall – hay everywhere when you’d return home.

“Of course, the hay or the stray didn’t always stay neatly tucked in each bale. After a hayride, you might find pieces of straw in your shoes, your hair, or even in your underwear,” Staz writes. “Those pesky little straws and hay bristles might be sticking in a few unmentionable places. All that jostling around on the wagon could get those tiny straws stuck in the most unusual places.”

Though a sunset hayride would offer a picturesque view of the horizon, the blogger says hayrides after dark are especially exciting, especially around Halloween, with the possibility of spooky mischief peeking at you from behind each tree or over there in the pumpkin patch.

“Sometimes we went on hayrides to a pumpkin patch, or we had what were called haunted hayrides. There were hayrides with bonfires after the ride, or Halloween parties,” she writes, adding that if you were lucky, you might even get to ride through a covered bridge. “There were late-in-the-season rides and the adults would cut down a Christmas tree and tie it to the wagon for the ride home.”

Though hayrides could provide a good jump-scare or two during the autumn and Halloween, they also make for a romantic date for a pair of sweethearts.

Sally Smith had lunch in Belton, MO, nearly 14 years ago and stopped by a flea market to ask about renting a 10’x10’ space.

She ended up buying the building.

“(The owner) talked me into buying her business,” Smith explained. “I’d never worked retail before.”

Smith named the new 3,600-square-foot store Whistle Stop Antiques, and after more than a decade in business, she reflected on all she’s learned and the memories she’s made.

Whistle Stop Antiques, so named because Belton was a whistle stop town and the railroad runs directly be-hind the building, was a new venture for someone who loved well-used treasures.

“I had owned a company that did estate sales, so I had the antique knowledge but never had worked retail,” Smith said. “At the beginning, it’s always dicecy, and you wonder if you’re going to make it or not.”

But Smith needn’t have worried – shoppers were instantly drawn to the store’s variety of inventory and its small-town charm. The business’ popularity has increased so much over the years that she bought the building adjoining her store, bringing her total space up to 7,000 square feet.

Smith said the area in which Whistle Stop is located has long been associated with sales.

“This entire block was at one time owned by a wo-man who sold children’s clothes,” she said. “(The buildings) were built in the late 1800s.”

At Whistle Stop, Smith said she prides herself on placing her focus on offering quality antiques, with all other items a secondary concern. And whether customers come in with an intent to buy or simply wish to do a bit of browsing, they’re always welcomed warmly and greeted with Smith’s signature smile.

“I have people who come in to regroup; they just wander and look and calm down. I try to set things up so it’s not too crazy,” Smith said.

There’s plenty you’ll find at Whistle Stop that you won’t find anywhere else – including, Smith says, live music on evenings when the store hosts its regular concert series.

Luckily for antiques lovers in Higginsville, Sandy Wescott has always dreamed big.

Now, the store she opened on the town’s main drag 16 years ago is growing to accommodate those dreams. Running Rabbit Antiques has expanded, buying up the building next door and opening a general store and hardware store, along with a 1920s gas station. All of that is in addition, of course, to the wall-to-wall antiques, primitives, collectibles, and advertisement signs that greet you when you walk into the front door of the original building. Wescott’s son Dale and his wife Christa now run the store, having retired from their jobs to dedicate themselves to its management full-time. All told, the expansion, from conception to opening, has taken about a year and a half.

“I grew up with my family collecting antiques. We’ve been accumulating for a long time,” Dale says. “We’ve got some good dealers, we love general store stuff, and now we have one of the better ad sign displays outdoors now. We have some really good dealers over here. We have a bit of something for everyone.”

Dale adds, “My mom always dreamed of expanding next door. Four years ago, my wife and I took over the store, and her dream became our dream.”

Dale says that Christa is general manager of the store and also manages its marketing and social media, while Dale prefers to go on the hunt for and buy those special items that find their way onto the store’s shelves – and, hopefully, customers’ shopping baskets.
When the couple began plans for the expansion, Dale drew up concepts for the use of the next-door building.

“Once we were handed the building next door, we worked 12 hours each day for a month,” Dale explains. “We had a few people helping because we had days of building walls and painting. The days started to blend together. A lot of dealers worked really hard to get their part set up. Everyone has been working hard.”

At the conclusion of that long month, however, Dale and Christa were jubilant when they laid their eyes on the finished space.
“It came out just like I envisioned,” Dale says.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcomed the new Running Rabbit Antiques and General Store to town, and the expanded space’s first day of operation was March 22. Customers’ feedback on the expansion has been overwhelmingly positive, Dale notes.

“We had close to 200 people here for the ribbon cutting. When they come inside, people for a year and a half have been looking to the right, looking for the opening,” Dale recalls. “I’ve heard the word ‘awesome’ a lot.”

Cynthia Branch, one of the owners of Paramount stores in Wichita and Augusta, announced on Jan. 30 that after 12 years of business, the difficult decision has been made to close Paramount East Antique Mall, 10187 SW Hwy 54 in Augusta. The store’s last day of business will be Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The dealers at Paramount East Antique Mall (Augusta) were notified with a letter sent Jan. 29 followed by an e-mail sent Jan. 30. Paramount East Antique Mall staff were notified individually on Jan. 28.

“It’s unfortunate that we have had to make this decision after so many years in business in Butler County. The cost of doing business in this post-COVID world has been challenging. Increases in property tax, insurance and other operating expenses in the area have become more than can be overcome even by a successful store like Paramount East Antique Mall,” Branch said. “We thank our loyal customers, our dedicated dealers and our amazing staff for everything they have done to make Paramount East Antique Mall all it could be.”

Paramount will continue to serve its customers at its two Wichita locations: Paramount Antique Mall (13200 US 54) and Paramount Marketplace (6297 E. 13th St. N.). The company will make as many accommodations as possible to place Paramount East Antique Mall dealers and staff that wish to relocate to their Wichita locations.

Don’t be surprised if you walk into The Vintage Vault in Greenwood, MO, and see a few familiar faces.

The antique and vintage store, which opened Nov. 1, brought with it several vendors from Big Creek Antique, Vintage and Décor before that store closed. Now, Vintage Vault owner Sherry Zans says the small team of dedicated vendors feel like a family – having dubbed themselves ‘The Breakfast Club,’ the group’s members regularly meet for breakfast at McDonald’s and then head over to The Vintage Vault. Zans credits Big Creek owner Steve Compton with blessing her with the group of dedicated vendors, and with doing his part to spread the word about her store.

“Steve did a fantastic job of keeping the place full, and customers loved coming in there,” Zans says. “I feel blessed they are able to come with me.”

Previously, Zans, herself a former vendor, had to move out of the store she occupied when the owner put the building up for sale.

“There’s a group of vendors who are senior citizens, and they were so upset they weren’t going to be able to stay together,” Zans explained. “I told my husband, ‘The only way to keep everyone together is to open our own shop. I am a nurse by background, and I’ve worked with the elderly. I thought, ‘I have to do this. I have to keep the band together.’ And they’re a great group of people.”
Zans says she thinks the store’s wide variety of items will keep customers coming back time and again.