By Sherrie Norris
The annual Fall Bazaar at Boone United Methodist Church in Boone is just hours away and is an event you don’t want to miss.
“Not just another rummage sale,” the bazaar draws thousands of folks from miles around each year and always has a long line waiting for the doors to open to the church’s family life center. This year, the fun begins on Friday, Sept, 20, (7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.) and continues on Saturday, Sept. 21 (7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
After months of planning and preparation, the serious countdown began earlier this week with the church family moving items from storage, arranging, pricing and taking care of last-minute prep for another great fundraiser.
It promises to be two full days of fun for all — browsing, eating and leaving with great bargains for those who venture to the church campus.
The bazaar, now in its 38th year, has easily been described by event coordinators as “the unofficial kick-off of autumn and a major upcycling event in the High Country.”
The event has become so popular, we’re told, that now thousands attend in search of hidden treasures, bargains, good food and fellowship.
“The bazaar has evolved into one of the most fun and effective ways of recycling used furniture, clothing of all kinds — seasonal items, books, puzzles, dvds, and yard sale items. You can also find jams, jellies, and baked goods.”
Chairing this year’s event, as they have done together and separately in the past are Rush Thompson, Doris Thompson and Rosie Bentley.
On behalf of his team of some 500 volunteers, Rush Thompson shared with High Country Press that such a major event requires a lot of time and effort for everyone involved — and most everyone benefits in different ways.
“It’s always a worthwhile venture for our church family,” Thompson said, “and it builds a sense of community for all of us, with working together each year and having a chance to talk and get to know one another better, especially during this last week.”
But, the main thing for Thompson, he shared, “Is knowing the bazaar gives the less fortunate in our area an opportunity to buy nice things, some still with tags on them, for a much more affordable price than going out to buy them from a store.”
Thompson reiterated that the money the church raises is nice, “But that’s not the main purpose we do this, year after year.”
In addition to providing community support through the affordable buying opportunities, proceeds from the sale benefit local missions and building improvements, which, in turn, further enhances the church’s mission of serving others.
Having been involved since 2007, Thompson said he and the volunteers have seen a lot of growth and changes, and are always flexible in “shifting around” to organize and accommodate donations of all sizes.
“We begin collecting each year in August for our September bazaar, and we try to encourage our donors not to wait until the last week to bring things in. It’s a huge undertaking to get everything organized in time for the sale to begin on Friday morning.”
And what happens to the items that are left at day’s end on Saturday?
“We gladly donate everything to Hebron Colony Thrift Store, rather than holding it over for the next year.”
And so, the giving keeps on giving, as the saying goes.
The Kinderwood/Imagine Bilingual School will have lunch for sale on Friday.
A silent auction, always featuring unique treasures, as well as items from local businesses, will accept bids on Friday until 6 pm.
Saturday brings the famous “Bag Sale” with most other items discounted to half-price, beginning at 7:30 am.
Credit and debit cards will not be accepted.
Don’t miss one of the biggest events in Boone this season!
Located at 471 New Market Blvd., directly behind New Market Shopping Center, the bazaar is one of Boone UMC’s main events each year.
For more information, call 828-264-6090.
Scenes from the Family Life Center of Boone United Methodist Church as volunteers help sort, arrange, price and prepare donated items for the church’s signature fundraising event of the year. Photos submitted
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