Discover your next gem and support two great causes at the Nose Creek Valley Museum Boot Sale and Community Flea Market.
On July 19, from 9 am to 3 pm, the fourth annual event borrows an idea from a popular sale across the pond.
“A boot sale is where we rent out the parking spaces in our parking lot to the public, and they sell goods out of their trunk, or ‘boot’ of their cars, as they say in England,” says Mackenzie Strey, curatorial assistant at Nose Creek Valley Museum.
The sale will have 50 outdoor spaces and enough room inside for 15 vendors.
“If someone doesn’t want to sell from the ‘boot’ of their vehicle, they can set up tables, racks, or other means of displaying their items,” adds Strey.
She says she expects the event to attract about 500 shoppers who are eager to get their hands on a deal.
“You can find almost anything you can think of!” she says.
“Many vendors sell second-hand items but there are also vendors selling brand new things, and hand-made crafts. We have a wide variety of treasures that come through our boot sales. You never know what you might find, from books, tools, toys, clothing, home décor, and much more.”
Airdrie Festival of Lights (AFOL) offers a fundraising barbecue so you can stop and grab lunch while you browse. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the food sold goes to AFOLS and the other 50 percent goes to the museum.
“These boot sales can be a lot of fun!” says Strey.
“We encourage people to come by, bring friends or family and take a walk around the sale. It’s a great place to catch up with old friends, make new friends, and find unique items from our vendors.”
The sale is also a fundraiser for the museum. The $20 vendors pay to rent their spot goes directly to the museum as well as any donations left while people are visiting the gallery during the event.
“We have a large collection of important artifacts from all over the Nose Creek Valley, we are a non-profit charity organization that is self-funded, so these fundraisers help us out a lot,” says Strey.
“We hope that people come for the boot sale and stay for the museum! We are very proud of our museum and hope that the community can be too. This is one of our largest fundraiser events of the year and we appreciate everyone who helps, decides to be a vendor, or stops by to shop and say ‘hi!’”
If you can’t make it on the 19th, don’t worry, there is another chance for the Boot Sale and Community Flea Market; check it out on August 9. Learn more at nosecreekvalleymuseum.com.
