Story and photos by Autumn King
From little kids who think they run the toy store to regulars at a coffee shop to everything in between, downtown Hazard, Ky., is a place full of unique stores, people and experiences.
The area is full of a variety of businesses, including a toy store, a coffee shop, a wellness and nutrition shop, a music store, a roaming hot dog cart and many more.
Ready Set Play Toy Store is a colorful shop filled with toys for kids of all ages, from infant toys to intricate science experiences to fidget toys.
“It’s super, super interconnected, and not just as like a, ‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.’ It’s very — you can tell that they’re friends,” said Jade Neacs, a clerk at Ready Set Play Toy Store.
The businesses in the area have been around for a variety of different times. Ready Set Play Toy Store has been open since 2022, while Taulbee Music Shop has been around for roughly 100 years.
Throughout that time, the community has seen many hardships, but the community as a whole has remained strong, especially among the businesses themselves.
“When we first opened, it was during our 2022 flood, and we were down in a back alley. It didn’t affect down there, but I mean, it affected us, our business,” said Asena Harvey, owner of Harvey Nutrition. “Then we got to move up here about a year later, and we’re doing much better up here.”
Harvey Nutrition is nestled inside of Appalachian Apparel Co., another small business. Harvey Nutrition is marked with the smell of fresh fruit, a fridge of energy drinks and a few medals hanging on their walls.
The clerks, baristas, owners and people of these stores seem to know their customers and their community.
Dad’s Dawgs can be found by the smell of freshly grilled hot dogs, home cooked chili and the sight of a man in a hot dog t-shirt and a beard net.
Throughout the day, the cart sees a variety of customers, including some regulars who work in and around the Perry County Hall of Justice.
“I bought dill relish just so he could have dill relish on his hot dogs. He’s probably my only customer who regularly gets dill relish,” said Jacob Derry, the owner and operator of Dad’s Dawgs.
Dad’s Dawgs has been moving in and around Kentucky since it opened two years ago. The cart can regularly be found outside the Hall of Justice on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Not too far from the Hall of Justice is another business that’s been around longer than most others in the downtown area.
Taulbee Music Shop has walls lined with guitars, tambourines that rest under a railing and the sort of collection of wall hangings that can only come from a century of business.
“We always cooperate. We had other music stores here. If we didn’t have it, we’d call them. If they didn’t have it, they’d call us,” said Philip Stidham, whose family has been running Taulbee’s since the late 1990s.
Taulbee’s history helps to better understand how long this community has been working together.
Though this history is long, the modern community has a strong connection amongst it as well.
Ready Set Play shares its building space with some other businesses.
Hazard Coffee Company has the faint scent of coffee lingering in the air as the baristas mix a variety of coffees and teas for their customers.
“We all support each other. Literally, yesterday, the smoothie people came down here and got some coffee. And, of course, we’re with the toy store all the time…” said Aubrey Sherman, a barista at Hazard Coffee Company.
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