Mount Pleasant Hall was abuzz Saturday night with plenty of sounds.

There were visitors playing carnival games, perusing homemade items for sale and bidding on items such as pepperoncini jars and homemade-jam baskets during an auction.

That’s because the bi-annual Country Store took place that night, which is the hall’s only fundraiser. It also featured a plant sale, bazaar and an assortment of food including nachos, tri-tip sandwiches and desserts.

“I like that everybody just does what they feel like and they have fun,” Maddy Roe, 9, said, adding that she enjoyed playing the carnival games and the cupcake she enjoyed as dessert. “My favorite was the fishing game because you fish and it’s like actual fishing but not in the water.”

Maddy was there with her parents and brother, Sutton.

Sutton said his favorite part of the night was the desserts.

Money raised during Saturday night’s festivities will be used to pay for the hall’s taxes and insurance, as well as for improvements to the building.

“So far, so good, and it’s a good crowd so far,” Barbara Vineyard, chairwoman of the Mount Pleasant Hall committee, said when asked how the event was going. “It’s fun seeing people and kids having fun. The whole thing is fun. It’s a tradition.”

The plant sale featured succulents and African violets grown by Lila Vineyard.

“It started 52 years ago and I’ve only missed one,” Lila Vineyard, 97, said. “It makes money for our hall, and if we didn’t have this every two years, we wouldn’t have a hall.”

Items sold at the bazaar included handmade items such as baby toys and clothes, pillows, beeswax candles and even a placemat sewn in the shape of a cupcake, which were donated by members of the Mount Pleasant Women’s Club, according to Barbara Vineyard.

Mount Pleasant 4-H club members and their parents also helped by serving nachos and soda, and manning the carnival games, which included a ring toss and a balloon dart game.

“It’s very fun because we’re helping Mount Pleasant Hall,” said Marissa Campos, 8, a 4-H member. She was serving nachos with her mother, Crystal Johnson.

Johnson said 4-H club holds their meetings at the hall. Her two daughters, Marissa and Alyssa, are involved in the club. This was their first year participating in the event.

“I love it because it’s benefiting Mount Pleasant Hall,” Johnson said when asked what her favorite part of the Country Store is. “I like that the community is getting involved, participating and having fun to keep the hall open.”

In the hall’s kitchen, tri-tip sandwiches, hot dogs and potato salad were among the food items being prepared.

“I’m amazed at how many people came out and supported the hall,” Karen Files said.

Files was a member of the “Hot Mod” kitchen staff, a name spontaneously given by Files to the group of women serving the food.

Many attendees were looking forward to the auction.

“There are a lot of unique things for auction and I’ve bid on quite a few,” said Terri Furrer, who was there with her son Brian, and he was manning the ring toss booth. “Where else am I going to get a hay fork, what other auction?”

Items including chairs, baskets of homemade jams and jars of pickled garlic were auctioned off by Don Derobertis.

Bidders had to shout to be heard by one another during the auction.

Derobertis said about 100 items were being auctioned, and the auction started at 6 p.m., earlier than it has in the past.

“Prior years, we probably didn’t start the auction until 7 or 7:30 p.m., and it would end at 11:30 p.m.,” Derobertis said.

Barbara Vineyard told The News Messenger that the fundraiser was “successful,” but wouldn’t say how much money had been raised because “we just don’t share that.”