Community-Wide Yard Sale this Weekend

WAITSBURG - Bargain hunters will be out in force, roaming the streets of Waitsburg on Saturday, June 7, for Waitsburg's 17th Annual Community-Wide Yard Sale. Local buyers and sellers traditionally earmark the first Saturday in June to either clear their closets and basement of unwanted items or join the search for bargains (or both).

The Waitsburg Commercial Club sponsored the first two-day event -- which boasted 46 sales - in 1998. City streets were literally bumper-tobumper, with many shoppers traveling in from Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities.

Locals made it a social event by riding together in the backs of pickups with their travel mugs of coffee and shopping en masse. The American Legion Auxiliary and Fire Department Auxiliary sold snacks, soft drinks, food and coffee in the American Legion Banquet Rooms.

The event grew even larger in 1999 -- boasting 60 sales on the yard sale map - with the addition of a sanctioned Chili Cook-Off at Preston Park. Joy Kollasch of Anaconda, Mont. won first place with her "Internal Combustion Chili." Charlie Burrington of Waitsburg placed second and Mike Miller of Kennewick placed third. The Lions Club served over 30 gallons of chili to hungry bargain hunters. The event brought in Tri-Cities radio personalities, a KVEW-TV newswoman and state representative Dave Mastin, among the notables.

According to The Times, "Neighborhoods were jammed with vehicles and downtown Waitsburg enjoyed a 'resort-town' busyness most of the day. Conservative estimates indicate over $12,000 flowed into town on yard sales alone."

The annual event has dwindled over the years, but is still going strong. This year's official map - on Page 6 in this issue of The Times - lists more sales than last year, with 19 stops, though there will likely be twice that number of actual sales. There is no official start time, but 9 a.m. has been generally accepted as the opening hour. Some sellers continue their sales on Sunday while others, put up "Free!" signs encouraging buyers to take what's left. Whether you're in the mood to buy or purge, Saturday will be the perfect opportunity.