June 28 last day to apply for annual event
LA CENTER — The city of La Center will host this year’s City Wide Garage Sale on July 13. Today, is technically the last day to register for advertising, with 70 people already signed up to participate.
“People actually plan vacations around it,” Candi Irish, the sale’s organizer, said laughing. “I started getting calls for the garage sale in March. It’s a long tradition. People just advertise their treasures, and go around and buy somebody else’s stuff.”
Since 2004, Irish has managed the sale, and believes the advent of social media and popular online sources of advertising has changed the way community events like the sale grow.
Last year, the sale was moved to the second Saturday of July, so as not to compete with the county-wide sale at the fairgrounds.
A spreadsheet of all the registered sales will be compiled and made available with addresses ready to be plugged into the GPS. Many people also just park and walk around to the sales they find nearby, Irish said.
“It’s a great opportunity for people moving into the area,” she said. “And it’s also a great opportunity for people getting ready to downsize or the people that are moving out. You can park your car, go around and shop and people let you come back later and pick up big items.”
In the past, advertising through the city would cost about $3 or so. Now, with social media ads, and sharing posts through places like Facebook, advertising with the city costs nothing at all. Sign-up online is free to anyone.
On the site, June 28 is the cutoff, but Irish said they will most likely still accept applications there and in the mail through July 3.
“It’s just a great opportunity,” she said. “And like I say, it’s gotten easier over the years. But nevertheless, it’s something that people don’t want to see go by the wayside.”
