Richard Johnson grabbed a like-new couch at the First Unitd Methodist Church sale for his daughter who recently finished graduate school and moved into new digs.
WINNSBORO – “This was truly a great weekend for Winnsboro,” Fairfield Chamber of Commerce Director Terry Vickers said of this year’s 85-mile Big Grab yard sale.
“The fourth year was the charm for us, I think. We more than doubled the vendors that participated last year,” Vickers said. “And many of them made big bucks, especially some of the churches and youth groups.”
One of the biggest money makers every year is the First United Methodist Church which, this year, brought in over $9000. Church volunteers worked hard, hawking their wares from the corner of Washington and Congress Streets, volunteering to take purchases to the customers’ cars.
This happy mom found just what she was looking for – a camouflage style lamp for her son to study by.
Rev. Craig Bailey, pastor of First Baptist Church on Highway 34 said he received more than money from the shoppers at his booth. He reported being able to talk with many shoppers, some of whom were evacuees, who were in need of comfort and prayer. While he said his intention was to donate proceeds from his booth to the church’s youth group, he said the event turned out to be an outreach mission for him.
Fairfield Memorial Hospital employees joined the vendor crowd on Saturday as did many residents in homes around the city center.
These two decided on a find gold crooked neck lamp outside a residence on Washington Street.
“Highway 21 has always been a hotspot on the Big Grab route,” Vickers said, “but this year even more so. Purity Lodge must have had a hundred vendors at the entrance to Ridgeway.”
Heading south on Highway 321, shoppers found another bunch of vendors that were not there last year.
“Beulah Methodist Church was at first one of the few vendors on 321,” Vickers said. “This year there were vendors all along Blythewood Road into Winnsboro.”
Vickers said she was glad to see the event grow. “It not only allows some of our merchants and residents to make a little extra money, but it brings people to town who might not otherwise have make the trip,” Vickers said.
“It was great weather and we had a great time. Now,” she said, “it’s almost time to start planning for next year.”