Community Garage Sale.

I live in a small town outside of Fairbanks.  It finally got its very first gas station, just this past year.  Before it was built, you had to drive into Fairbanks to buy your gas.  This town still prohibits fast food places and tends to be quite independent.  Once a year, the fire station hosts a community garage sale as a fund raiser.  It happens once a year and anyone is welcome to sell their extra stuff there.  Since this is an all volunteer force, this is their chance to earn extra money.

They park all the trucks and rescue ambulances outside at the edge of the fire station so the fire house is clear for people to set up tables. Even the fire fighters take time to sell things.  Some years they even sell hot dogs and hamburgers.  This year they did that plus there was a bunch of mothers who sold some wonderful baked goods.  People set up where the trucks normally park. They find spaces around all the equipment. 

As you can see, the number of people selling, took up most of the grounds.  The line spilled over out side the fire house to the edge by the park and around to the road.  A few folks set up in the park right next to the fire house.  People were everywhere.  I saw everything from clothes, to books, to shovels, to a beautiful saw set up.  I might have bought it but I couldn't figure out where to put it. 

In past years, I've scored a lovely telescope for $20.  A refurbished coal burning stove which will be nice when I finally get it set up in the basement.  A never used cast iron wok which I've not opened yet.  I have to rearrange the kitchen for it and other pieces of cast iron.

This year, I found two beautiful wooden birch bowls perfect for my bread making.  I adore making bread from scratch and prefer using wood bowls.  The sale began at 10 and I was there to purchase things.

I also bought 4 used vegetarian and vegan cookbooks I don't have.  It is not often one finds vegetarian or vegan cookbooks for sale at this event.  Usually, you only find the regular cookbooks.

The fire department, in addition to hosting this event, also participates in the Golden Days parade which celebrates the founding of Fairbanks due to Pedro Felix discovering gold.  This took place this past Saturday and I squeezed it in between the Farmers Market and the 50th anniversary of  the founding of Alaskaland, now known as Pioneer Park.  

I'll share more on both later in the week.  Every Farmers Market is a bit different and I found more goodies there.  Have a good week and let me know what you think.