The late summer-early fall heat wave that sent temperatures soaring into the mid-90s by Saturday afternoon didn’t put too much of a damper on the annual citywide yard sale day in Escalon.
Close to 100 sale locations were listed on the map for the Oct. 4 event and sales were scattered all over the community. Shoppers were out early, hitting some spots even before the 8 a.m. official start time, hoping to beat the heat and other shoppers as they looked for bargains.
It’s a tradition that has been going strong for more than 20 years and, based on the success of this year’s event, is likely to continue for many more.
Debbie Moore of Escalon and daughter Sarah Endsley of Modesto were doing some shopping along Oklahoma, finding not only the yard sale items interesting but also purchasing some fresh fruits and vegetables. Bill Gilbreth was hosting the sale, set up at his daughter’s home.
On First Street, seller Monica Castaneda had a variety of household items and ‘vintage’ kitchenware for sale.
“I’m having a sale so I don’t go to them,” she said, laughing.
Traffic was heavy throughout the community, as motorists slowly cruised through, looking for just the right piece to catch their eye before stopping.
The majority of the sales were single family ones, though several groups also joined in at dedicated locations, to raise funds for a variety of school and community organizations and causes. The Escalon Chamber of Commerce also hosted ‘spaces in the park’ for residents living outside the city limits that wanted to take advantage of the additional traffic coming into town for the day. For a small fee, they had a dedicated spot to sell their wares.
Among those setting up shop in the Main Street Park was the husband-wife team of Bruce and Linda, who live off Henry Road between Escalon and Oakdale.
“We are re-purposing our items,” Bruce said, smiling as he surveyed the wide variety of merchandise offered, from furniture to knick-knacks, mirrors, books and more.
He was pleased with the park opportunity, as he felt shoppers coming into town would more likely see him there than trying to find him out in the rural area.
“I still like going,” wife Linda added of hitting the other sales around town. “I just don’t buy much anymore.”
The citywide sale day hours were 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., though some individual sales ran later, as residents tried to sell it all, hoping to avoid packing it up and saving it for next year.
