What began in 2016 as a humble grassroots effort through the Excelsior Citizen Facebook Group has now burgeoned into a bi-annual city-wide phenomenon. Held annually on the weekend after Labor Day, the latest City-Wide Garage Sale drew a record number of participants and offered a treasure trove of exciting experiences for both sellers and buyers.
The inception of this community event traces back to July 2016 when Courtney Cole proposed the idea of a city-wide garage sale to the Citizen Facebook Group. Met with overwhelming enthusiasm, Cole secured the sponsorship of the City of Excelsior Springs for the publication of a sale map in the local newspaper, the Excelsior Springs Standard (the event has been sponsored by Griffey Insurance Agency since 2018). Initially a July event, for the first two years, it was moved to the weekend after Labor Day in 2018 in response to community feedback citing uncomfortably high temperatures.
This year’s sales were blessed with favorable weather—a brief morning rain shower on Friday cleared to reveal beautiful, sunlit skies for the rest of the weekend.
One of the standout participants was the Excelsior Springs Baptist Church, which used the occasion to raise funds for Operation Christmas Child—a charity initiative aimed at delivering the gospel and gift-filled shoeboxes to underprivileged children globally. Marsha Cox Metcalfe reported that their garage sale raised an impressive $3,200, a vital contribution towards the annual shipping costs of their 1,100 gift boxes (shipping is $10/each).
Long-distance shoppers also contributed to the sale’s success. Sonra Siegel, a local resident, reported visitors from as far as Brookfield and Bethany, Missouri, stopping by her sale on Friday.
For those residing just outside the city, the craft mall Wild Bunch rented out parking spaces for sellers. They also elevated the fun by setting up an inflatable jump house for children.
Skyla Sullivan spiced up her garage sale by introducing a spin-to-win wheel offering free goodies. “It was our best garage sale crowd and sale numbers ever,” Sullivan reported.
Meanwhile, a young entrepreneur in the making, Crystal Keeton’s daughter, set up a lemonade stand that had some high-profile customers—the Fire and Police Departments, who both made appearances on the last day of the sale.
This bi-annual event has grown exponentially over the years. This year’s fall sale saw the participation of more than 80 households making it the largest city-wide garage sale, yet.
Due to the popularity of the Fall City-Wide Garage Sale, a Spring City-Wide Garage Sale was introduced in 2021 and scheduled for the last weekend of April.
So, go ahead and mark your calendars for April 26-28, 2024, as the Excelsior Springs City-Wide Garage Sales show no signs of slowing down and continue to be events full of community spirit, exciting finds, and neighborly love.
If you had a sale and have items left to donate, please consider donating to the Excelsior Springs Museum and Archives Rummage Sale. The Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 AM – 4 PM downtown at the corner of Main and Broadway.
If you appreciate the value our local journalism brings to the community, please consider making a recurring contribution to the Excelsior Citizen!
