Whether you’re in need of some spring cleaning, looking to make a buck or two, or on the hunt for collectibles, the East City Neighbourhood Yard Sale is back, bigger than ever, and inviting all to welcome spring with a little community connection.
Rain or shine, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday (May 11), Peterborough’s East City will be turned into a haven for yard sale enthusiasts as more than 90 houses will be hosting their own independent sales.
“It really fills me up to see the community coming together and just building that sense of connection,” says organizer and East City entrepreneur Ashley Bonner. “I love seeing neighbours really get to know each other.”
Bonner first held the yard sale over Mother’s Day weekend in 2021 as a way to connect with her mother who passed away in 2020.
“My mom loved yard sales and so holding it on Mother’s Day weekend was a way to honour her,” she says. “Mother’s Day is typically very hard with grief, especially in the first few years — and I’m sure all the years. I thought about how I love doing yard sales and mom and I used to do it every weekend.”
Since that first year with only a couple dozen participants, that tribute to her mother has only continued to grow and, now in its fourth year, there are more than 90 participants in the community-wide gathering.
This year, most of the participating homes are located between Parkhill Road and Maria Street, with a few outside the core alongside Ashburnham Road near Beavermead Park, along Lansdowne Street, and farther north along Armour Road.
“The Gilmour Street (Yard Sale) is the biggest one in Peterborough and I love it, but it’s a different vibe,” says Bonner. “It’s all on one street, whereas this one is more spread out.”
With everything from dolls, DVDs, and books to knickknacks, furniture, clothing, and even handmade goods from local home businesses, the sale provides an opportunity for buyers to find hidden treasures while sellers can clear out their unwanted items without taking them to the landfill.
“Sometimes people postpone their spring cleaning, but this gives a motivation to do it now,” says Bonner. “Now is the time to get rid of stuff.”
Some sellers are taking the opportunity to contribute to local causes and organizations, including a fundraiser for Girl Guides taking place at the corner of Roger St. and St. Luke’s Ave. and other private properties raising money for the YES Shelter for Youth & Families, Good Neighbours Care Centre, and Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival, among others.
Additionally, the Quaker Park Tennis Club has moved up their own annual garage sale fundraiser to the same date, so those dropping by can browse a massive selection of plants, crafts, baked goods and more from over 25 vendors.
Bonner is also encouraging yard sale participants to donate their unsold items to the Society of St. Vincent De Paul through the Vinnies second hand stores at 52 Hunter Street East in East City and at 799 Erskine Avenue.
“Vinnies supports our local food bank so it’s a nice feel good to give back,” Bonner says. “You can see how this is good from a social and economic standpoint for the city and our neighbourhood, and even Peterborough, because it brings people in from out of town.”
Bonner shares the story of a couple who were visiting the neighbourhood during the sale in a previous year and ended up moving to East City because of the connections they saw being formed during the event. Sure enough, the following year, they were East City residents with their own yard sale set up.
“It’s such a social thing where you get to meet your neighbours,” Bonner says. “When we talk about a resilient neighbourhood, and a resilient community, it’s about knowing the neighbours on your street and around your corner because that’s who you rely on.”
Bonner, who was recently awarded the 2024 Member of the Year by the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough, is currently working on an online platform that will make it even easier for communities to host their own neighbourhood yard sales. Called “Community Pin,” the app will have templates to assist community members in creating such events.
“I want to empower neighbourhoods with the tools to do what I’ve been able to do in my own neighbourhood in an easy way,” says Bonner. “It’ll have templates to navigate how to do those yard sales or clean-ups, and other things that add value to your community.”
To be launched later this year, the accessible platform will act as a community bulletin board, making it easy for community members to advertise and get local news and alerts. As with the neighbourhood yard sales, community resilience is the mandate of Community Pin.
“This neighbourhood event is really such a league community builder and it’s a commonality where neighbours can connect over the yard sale,” Bonner says. “The more we can find those commonalities, I think the more connected our communities are.”
While there is no space for specific addresses to be pinned to the yard sale maps, interested participants are encouraged to join in the fun by setting up their own sale, with signs directing passers-by to their own set-ups. Those planning to visit the yard sales should note that Armour Road is closed from Hunter to Douro for construction.
An online map of participating locations can be found at maps.app.goo.gl/BF4AktkykrYuAQws9.
More information on the East City Neighbourhood Yard Sale is available by joining the Facebook group.
This story has been updated as St. Luke’s Anglican Church is unable to participate in the Girl Guides fundraiser due to a conflict with another event.
