Despite early rain showers that threatened to cancel the event, dozens of people showed up to ETSU at Kingsport’s semi-annual community yard sale Friday morning, with multiple vendors and food trucks set up for those willing to brave the rain, cold and wind.
The early rains nearly caused a cancellation of the event, but by 9 a.m. the rain had subsided and plans were made to keep the yard sale going for as long as the rain held off, even if it went past the originally scheduled end time of 1 p.m.
“If it’s race weekend, it going to rain [it seems,]” said Debbie Marsh, Technical Clerk for ETSU at Kingsport. “It’s hard to have a yard sale in April. We usually do better in August.”
Marsh also noted that these events generally bring in 30 to 40 vendors, but the morning showers undoubtedly played a part in a lower vendor turnout than in years past. Still, there was no shortage of people who came to the community yard sale as turnout numbers rose as the sun started to come out in the late morning.
The vendor parking lot opened at 8 a.m., and vendors were allowed to set up on a first-come-first-serve basis, with no cost for vendors to participate or required reservations. Aside from the ever-popular Auntie Ruth’s Donuts food truck that was set up on Friday, one of the yard sale’s most popular vendors was Winnie Reed, a local gardener who was selling flowers and trees.
“I love [coming to these events],” said Reed. “I love having a place besides my house to sell them, but it is great.”
The yard sale is hosted twice a year, on the first Friday in April and September, with all proceeds raised by the Kingsport University Center going into the Megan Smith Scholarship Fund, a scholarship that has been awarded to Volunteer High School students for the past eight years. The scholarship, which was started in 2011, is named in honor of Megan Smith, a graduate of Volunteer High School and ETSU at Kingsport student, who was killed in a car accident in 2009.
ETSU at Kingsport Director Elaine Boone noted it’s important to honor Smith’s memory, while also bringing in community support.
“It’s very important for us to include the community in anything we can to let them know that we’re still here,” Boone said.
The Kingsport Student Service Organization sponsored the spring yard sale and collected donations from vendors to put towards the Megan Smith Scholarship Fund, while multiple student workers helped with the event. The next yard sale is scheduled for Sept. 6.
