Mary Byrne
The Town-Wide Yard Sale is returning for its second year, promising a day of great sales and unique finds.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a rain date set for the following weekend, Saturday, Oct. 5.
“I love yard sales,” said Library Director Peter Struzziero, who is hosting the yard sale in partnership with the Recreation Department and Council on Aging, both led by Brandon Fitts. “I was part of the town-wide yard sale in a community I used to live in. I would have a yard sale, and it was a lot of fun knowing there were 100 other yard sales.”
Struzziero said he first pitched the idea of a town-wide yard sale to the Select Board last year. At the time, he framed it as a pilot project, with the idea that if it was successful, he could return the following year with a request to make it an annual event.
“It went very well, and I did, and they said yes — so here we are,” he said.
As of the first week of September, about 75 households had signed up. Last year, as many as 125 households participated.
“We checked with various people in town, notably the Police Department, to make sure there were no issues, no congestion or people arguing over the cost of a dinner plate,” he said. “I asked if we could expand it and try to include even more houses, and he didn’t see why not.”
In addition to offering residents the chance to shop around the community, yard sales help cut down on waste. The town-wide sales allow sellers to recycle items they may otherwise have tossed in the trash, skip the typical permitting process for an individual yard sale, and reconnect with neighbors and friends.
“I think if you’re having a yard sale on a day like this, you’re probably going to do better than if you’re doing it yourself,” Struzziero said, noting people from surrounding towns may also stop by. “Our neighbors in surrounding towns will … hopefully go to the coffee shops, check out the downtown area … It’ll remind them that Belmont is a nice place to come and spend money.”
Households have until Wednesday, Sept. 18 to sign up, according to Struzziero. A $15 registration fee is required, which is used for marketing as well as printed maps and an interactive Google map for handheld devices.
“It’s fun. It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “If you need a lamp, you’re going to find one on town-wide yard sale day … I think it’s a great chance to have some fun, meet some new people, maybe reconnect with your neighbors … and make a couple of bucks. And hopefully, it’s a little boost for the economy. Maybe it’ll be a busy day for the restaurants and coffee shops that might not have been [busy].”