Route 66 Garage Sales look to be a big hit this weekend

 

[June 08, 2019] 

If you missed it yesterday, you still have today and in many cases tomorrow as well to catch the Route 66 Garage Sales in Lincoln, as well as Atlanta and Elkhart. The sales kicked off on Friday morning and featured more than 75 locations this year. Some of those locations such as the VFW on Fifth Street and Postville Park just down the road a block featured multiple vendors selling their wares.

In its thirteenth year, the garage sales are going strong and growing as an important part of the Route 66 experience for travelers, and today it is expected that traffic will be heavy in some areas as shoppers flock to various locations in search of special bargains.

At Postville Park a number of vendors were set up. Some were offering items along the lines of home-based businesses while others were featuring more traditional yard sale of flea market items. Either way there was plenty of merchandise to choose from, and shoppers were there on Friday making purchases.

Also featured at the Postville Park was a large play area for the youngsters. Inflatable bounce houses and obstacle course were garnering attention from the younger generation.

Down the road the VFW also offered several vendors that are home-based businesses, as well as some hand-crafted items. In addition the St. John United Church of Christ in Lincoln was holding a bake sale with the proceeds to go toward the veteran celebration the church hosts each year in November.

A sign outside the VFW also made promise of something else that many shoppers look forward to, food prepared by the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps League will be preparing sandwiches fresh off the grill on Saturday only.

The Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society was also hosting a sale at the LCG&HS Center on Chicago Street. Inside some of the better attractions were a wide variety of books pertaining to local history. There was also a large selection of high school and college yearbooks. In addition, the sale offered a lot of miscellaneous items from home décor to housewares and a large selection of jewelry.

At the Oasis, the large dining area that takes up the west half of the building was filled wall-to-wall with some really great items. If one is looking for home décor, collectibles or a lot of miscellaneous this is a must stop location. Oasis Director Nancy Cunningham said that there were some items that were priced, simply because they were donated and are items of value, so the Oasis would like to get a good return on the donors’ generosity. Other items are “make an offer,” and are still some really terrific finds.

For example there is a huge selection of Cardinal (the bird not the baseball team) home décor most of which are figurines that can be set on a shelf. And if you need the shelf, the Oasis had some of those as well. Other offerings included dinnerware, cookware, and just downright pretty stuff.

The Humane Society of Logan County started their garages sales with a special preview night on Thursday, and crowds flocked to find the best bargains possible. Don’t worry though, with literally thousands of items to choose from there will still be items on hand to last the rest of the weekend.

In addition to the garage sales, many of the downtown Lincoln businesses are holding special Route 66 sales, so don’t forget to stop and shop around the square.

Food offerings this weekend will also be abundant. For those who remember the days of the Mill and the famous Schnitzel sandwich, the Billiard’s Café will be offering Schnitzel specials this weekend. Restaurants and coffee houses will be open downtown. And if you want a quick grab and go sandwich on the run the options include the Marine Corp League at the VFW and a drive through ribeye and porkshop fundraiser for Relay for Life in the parking lot at CCAOnline, 601 Keokuk Street.

For those who don’t have one yet, garage sale maps were still available on Friday at the VFW as well as several of the local convenience stores. Be sure to stop in and grab one so you find all the city has to offer.

[Nila Smith]