Manahawkin Lake Park central location for Stafford's Town-Wide Yard Sale

Stafford residents will have a chance to clear out some of the clutter in their homes during Stafford Township’s Town-Wide Yard Sale, Saturday, Sept. 13. The event will be held rain or shine, from 8 a.m. to 3 pm.

“So often people think, ‘Oh, I’ll have a yard sale,’ and then they just never get around to it. But we feel that when it’s a community-wide event, especially when you have more than one person on your street who has a yard sale, it attracts more customers,” said Debbie Budesa, administrative assistant for Stafford Recreation. “A lot of people go out when they find out there’s a town-wide yard sale, and they just go out looking for whatever they can. It’s a way to bring the community together, and last year was very, very successful. People were anxious to have it again,” she added.

Photo via Google
The community event will take place
during the last few weeks of summer.

Over 200 families participated in last year’s event, which was the first in many years, said Budesa. She said she hopes even more families will participate this time.

New this year, the township is allowing residents who live in an out-out-the-way location to set up their items at the Manahawkin Lake Park, located on Route 9 in downtown Manahawkin. Participants must bring their own tables and chairs.

“The township is so far-flung that there are sections that people don’t really get to,” said Budesa. “Our township extends to Warren Grove, which is well off of Route 72. We also have sections of our waterfront, Beach Haven West, where people live quite a distance away from the main drag. So that’s why we wanted to offer that to them.”

Yard sale participants with leftover, unwanted items can leave them at the curb for township pick-up starting Sept. 15.

Anyone interested in partaking in the event must register by Sept. 5. The usual $5 permit fee will be waived.

Registration forms can be picked up and dropped off at the Bay Avenue Community Center, located at 775 East Bay Ave., or mailed to Stafford Recreation, at 260 East Bay Ave. Online forms can also be emailed to dbudesa@gmail.com.

A log of each participant’s street address and the items available will be listed on the township’s website at staffordnj.gov. Names and phone numbers will not be visible.

“Lots of people will be out and about looking because they know the yard sale’s going on. And with the lists of addresses and items available, then people can see if they’re looking for something in particular, maybe books or sporting goods or something,” said Budesa. “It’s a great way to get out there what you have.”

For more information, call 609-489-0913.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The Forked River Gazette.