Vermilion Rotary Club Garage Sale Affected By Weather

Items still remaining for purchase

Despite a surprise blast of wintry weather more fitting for mid-January than late April, the Vermilion Rotary Club’s Annual Garage Sale remained a strong community fundraiser, even as severe weather conditions had a noticeable impact on attendance.

Held April 23 to 25 at the Vermilion Curling Rink West Door and the Heritage Pavilion at the Vermilion Fairgrounds, the popular sale opened with more shoppers than organizers had expected, considering the winter snow squalls that moved through the area. However, while the first night still brought a steady number of bargain hunters through the doors, attendance was down compared to last year and previous sale years.

The weather worsened on Friday, with blizzard-like conditions drastically reducing the number of people able to attend. Although conditions improved somewhat on Saturday, with the wind warning lifted and the snow stopping aside from scattered flurries, highways and roads remained affected by icy and difficult driving conditions. As a result, attendance continued to be lower than in past years, particularly as many shoppers travel from outlying communities to attend the sale.

In response, the Rotary Garage Sale committee has made the decision to extend the sale by adding Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., giving shoppers another opportunity to come out and take advantage of the many items still available.

“Due to the severe weather we have had over the past three days, we as a committee has made the decision to extend the sale for one more day of shopping on May 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” said the Rotary Garage Sale committee. “We want to give shoppers who love to come to our sale the opportunity to still come out, take part, and see the many items we still have left.”

This year, the Rotary Club’s signature project is the Vermilion Heritage Museum Restoration Project, with additional proceeds supporting a variety of local initiatives and organizations.