BLYTHEWOOD – The Big Grab is here. The annual curbside crawl of yard sales, known as The Big Grab, will happen this year on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 7-8, encompassing a 50-mile community network that includes Blythewood, Ridgeway and Winnsboro.
The route is a figure 8 loop that takes shoppers from Winnsboro through Ridgeway to Blythewood then from Blythewood down Hwy 21 (Wilson Blvd) to I- 20 and back up 321 to Winnsboro. Some locations will have many vendors at one site, and some will be scattered one-at-a-time along the route. The largest vendor sites, of course, will be in the towns.
Joanne Visser found a childs bench she couldnt live without at the Ridgeway Big Grab last year. | Barbara Ball
“It started out at 25 miles as a way to bring people into our communities and to enjoy small towns again, as well as a way to help our citizens put a little money in their pockets,” Terry Vickers, Director of the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce, said. “Now we’re in our sixth year and it’s more successful every year.”
Vendors will be out trolling the roadsides from sunrise to sunset offering everything under the sun at rock-bottom prices (and of course negotiations are expected!)
“Since its inception, The Big Grab has not only drawn shoppers into local businesses, it has also drawn vendors from as far away as New Jersey and Florida,” Vickers said.
The event has also been a boon to local churches, who have capitalized on The Big Grab as a major annual fundraiser – not only selling their own wares, but also renting out prime selling space to vendors who otherwise would not have had a spot along the route.
First United Methodist Church in Winnsboro has set the bar for other churches, raising approximately $6,000 last year. Large church venues in Blythewood include Buelah UMC on Hwy 321 and Fairlawn on Hwy 21.
In Blythewood, Mayor J. Michael Ross expressed his gratitude to all the entities that have come together to potentially make what he said he hopes will be the most successful Big Grab event ever.
“It’s not just about vendors setting up tables and selling their wares,” Ross said. “It’s a time for people to shop, eat, walk, talk and experience what our small towns of Blythewood, Ridgeway and Winnsboro are really about.
“We hope to see vendors set up all over downtown Blythewood and beyond. Some set-up areas will be free while there will be a small charge for others,” Ross said. “Secure your spot today so you’ll be ready to sell on the big (grab) day.”
Vendors will begin trickling into the area soon, Vickers said, setting up Thursday evening, Sept. 6, so they will be ready to sell at first light on Friday, Sept. 7. Shoppers will just have to stand by and wait until day breaks.
“It’s exciting,” Vickers said. “My phone has been ringing off the hook!”
For information about the Big Grab vendor sites and other Big Grab information for both Blythewood and Fairfield County (Winnsboro and Ridgeway), go to BigGrabYardSale.com and Big Grab Facebook page.
For Blythewood only, contact Steve Hasterok, Director, Conference Center and Events, Town of Blythewood at (803) 754-0501 or email him @townofblythewoodsc.gov. For information specific to the Winnsboro and Ridgeway Big Grabs, contact Terry Vickers at (803) 635-4242.