Dowagiac’s fourth annual Community-wide Garage Sale Weekend will be held Friday and Saturday, May 25 and 26.
The event is being hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which will continue to accept registration forms through May 7 at its offices located within the historic train depot.
The city is waiving garage-sale permits to those registered for the event for the weekend.
“It’s a numbers game,” said Vickie Phillipson, program director of the Chamber and DDA, who is overseeing the promotion.
“Just as a shopping mall appeals to some families due to the number of stores and retail choices it offers, the more residential garage sales that are held within a confined five- to 10-mile area, the more bargain hunters and garage sale and antiques enthusiasts the promotion is likely to attract.
“The bottom line is additional foot traffic at your garage sale and more income for you.”
To register for the event or to serve as a distribution location for Buyer’s Guides, call the Chamber of Commerce and DDA at (269) 782-8212.
“For bargain hunters or antiquers, a community-wide garage sale weekend provides the perfect hunting ground for good finds and terrific bargains,” Phillipson said. “Businesses will also benefit from the promotion, especially those stores that are having sidewalk sales May 25 and 26. Day visitors are likely to also spend time downtown shopping or will pick up a quick lunch while en route to their
next stop. During its first year, the promotion featured more than 50 residential garage and yard sales located within Dowagiac and at Sister Lakes. Last year, the promotion included 70 to 75 sites.”
Participating homeowners pay $8 to be included in the Buyer’s Guide and Map, which organizers will distribute to the public through select downtown locations. Phillipson said monies earned from the participation fees are earmarked for advertising in the classified sections of 10 publications, including The Leader’s six publications, South Bend Tribune, Herald Palladium and Kalamazoo Gazette.
The City of Dowagiac agreed to waive the garage sale permit for that weekend, thereby allowing the Chamber to register participants for the community-wide event. The city-issued permit remains in effect for those people who do not register with the Chamber. In addition to receiving a city map that identifies the locations of the residential garage sales, the Buyer’s Guide also contains a general
list of merchandise each sale plans to feature, as well as those locations that will be holding estate sales. Locations of individual garage sales will be grouped together in four sections, representing quadrants of the city. Sales within Sister Lakes and those toward Cassopolis will also be grouped in categories.
Participating sites that have already registered for the promotion are well stocked in apparel for adults and children, household goods, kitchen and glassware and bedding and bath. Some locations plan to feature estate items, antiques and collectibles. One-of-a-kind items for the sportsman include a 1974 Harley-Davidson Sportster and fishing equipment, including Heddon fishing lures and other bait.
Phillipson said the Buyer’s Guide will also contain advertising information of interest to the public, featuring specialty shops downtown that plan to host sidewalk sales May 25 and 26, including The Red Raven, Laurie Anne’s and Hope’s Door Thrift Store, along with Caruso’s Candy Kitchen and Beeson Street Bar and Grill. These same locations, along with the Chamber of Commerce and DDA, also serve as distribution sites for Buyer’s Guides that will be available to the public by May 22.
To register your garage sale for the event or to serve as a distribution location for Buyer’s Guides, call the Chamber of Commerce and DDA at (269) 782-8212.