The Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale returns for its 29th year in Peterborough on Saturday, May 25, 2019.
The popular annual street sale sees residents of the entire length of Gilmour Street — from Park Street to Monaghan Road — participating in the sale, often with additional sellers west of Monaghan and some on Homewood Avenue and Burrows Street.
First held in 1990, the street sale always takes place on the morning of the Saturday following the Victoria Day weekend. The 2019 sale takes place on Saturday, May 25th and it officially begins at 9 a.m. (although some people have been known to show up early) and runs until 1 p.m.
While the weather for the sale has traditionally been excellent, there’s always a chance it will be rained out. The rain date is Sunday, May 26th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The types of items you can find are what you would expect an any garage or yard sale: furniture, clothing, books, CDs, sporting equipment, paintings, bikes, appliances, electronics, baked goods, and more. But because so many residents participate in the sale, there’s a huge selection and the opportunity to find unusual, unique or even rare items.
Thousands of people come out to the Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale every year, either to find both regular and unique items at bargain prices, or to support the many non-profit organizations that also set up shop during the sale to raise funds.
In the past, organizations involved in the sale have included the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, The Parkinson Society, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Taoist Tai Chi Society, and many more.
A couple of the organizations involved in this year’s sale include Rock Camp for Girls (RC4G) and The Buddhist Place.
RC4G will be set up at 1345 Gordon Avenue, at the corner of Gilmour and Gordon, in the side yard facing Gilmour Street. They will be featuring Rock Camp merchandise, live music, and some rock-themed activities. All proceeds from the sale will support RC4G, which provides youth in the Peterborough area with the opportunity to build confidence and community through the creation of rock music.
The Buddhist Place will be selling items and plants, with proceeds supporting the Warming Room Community Ministries of Peterborough and the Tisarana Monestary. A registered charity, the Buddhist Place is a multi-traditional group that supports Buddhism, monks, nuns and lay teachers in Ontario. Located at Saint John’s Anglican Church in Peterborough, it provides opportunities to learn about and practice the teachings of the Buddha in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
While the Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale does have a Facebook group and a Facebook page, as well as a Facebook event page, there’s no website or consolidated listing of all the sellers and charities who are participating.
So you just need to head to Gilmour Street early on Saturday morning and explore what’s on offer for yourself.
