Commujity Yard Sale

It was a Sunday in October that we discovered one of our favorite Antique Barns closed not too far away in Dillsburg. We were at a loss… until we looked at Unilocal!We were unclear what this «Commujity Yard Sale» was all about, what did this mean??? Glad we gave it a shot! We ventured down this old country road & when we arrived our jaw dropped! WOW! What a find! A sea of vendors in two separate sections! One section in an old amusement park– amazing! We could not believe our eyes! We both scored things that we wanted for dirt cheap! Highly recommended to the flea market enthusiast!!!

This flea/farmer’s market offers the best people watching in the mid-​state. It’s a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning and our daughter LOVES looking at all of the patrons and vendors as we stroll around. The produce at the farmer’s stands (which are in the gravel parking lot by Ashcombes and not in the old amusement park) is fresh and really well-​priced. There are lots of food vendors if you want to eat on-​site, too. The area in the amusement park is wonderful for strolling as it is paved and more stroller-​friendly than the gravel area. Plus you get to see the roller coaster and the old booths/​ride structures. I agree with some of the previous posts that the lower (amusement park) area carries «lesser quality» items, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder…

Best people watching in South Central Pa (except maybe for the Fair). You can find just about anything you’re looking for here on any given Sunday, just make sure you wear comfortable shoes ’cause there’s lots of walking, much in a gravel parking lot. They have an old steam locamotive which you can get a short ride for $ 3 (great for kids, only goes about a mile and then returns in reverse). The lower flea market is in a decaying amusement park, which has a sort of sad beauty, especially the rollercoaster, which seems to still stand defying entropy. Plan on spending at least 3 hours if you want to see all the vendors. Best flea market, only on sundays in the warm months.

Here’s an equation: ginormous flea market + unused amusement park = amazement.
This flea market opened up (or, at the very least, rose to prominence) after the one along the Carlisle Pike in Mechanicsburg closed. *sniff sniff* The stands go on forever, the setting is magical and the finds are aplenty. I tell my Philadelphia-​based friends the only thing I miss about living near Harrisburg is the quality flea markets to be found. After witnessing this one, everyone agrees: this is a gem hidden away in a box full of BeDazzler accoutrements.

The market itself is actually split into 2 parts. You have the Garage sale that’s actually IN the park, and then you have the huge Yard sale that’s going on in the Parking lot out back. I rarely, if ever, go to the lower market anymore because it is mostly just crap that no one can seem to sell. Every now and then I hear about a deal that someone stumbled across buying from some guy who acquired some item due to some family death or misfortune and now it’s theirs for the asking price of 15 dollars, or maybe 10, or maybe 5, or whatever you can haggle with. It’s pretty standard here to haggle. If you just sit in stare at an item, most of the time, they will do the haggling for you right there, saving your vocal cords valuable strain. Literally watch the prices come down while you wait.
So anyway, like I was saying, the second level of the farmers market it where the action is. Fruit stands, antiques, tools, odds&ends, nick-​nacks, pretty much anything you would be looking for you can find here, and it is in better shape then below. It’s almost like the people down below are selling their wares for free, and the tables up top are paying to be there so they take a little more pride in making sure things look a little better. I’ve seen everything from shovels, to motorcycles to Nintendo Wiis’ sold here. Come early and you’re bound to find something cheap that you may not exactly need, but wouldn’t pay full price for if you did. This is the perfect spot to get it. Just remember to bring cash, most of these people don’t have credit card machines.

This farmers/​flea market has been open for a couple years now. It’s a year round market which is open from sunrise to 2PM on Sundays. Of course, the warmer days of the spring and summer bring out more vendors. There’s a large number of vendors with your typical flea market find and there’s always a few markets selling fresh produce.
I’ve usually been there around noon and some of the vendors are already thinking about packing up and as a result they’re willing to bargain. I’ve found a couple really great furniture pieces that with a little work or reupholstering have turned into classics. If you looking to furnish an apartment on the cheap or just looking for some specialty tool it’s worth a trip. It’s on the grounds of the old amusement park so it’s sometimes a little haunting to be walking around the abandoned and crumbling rides.
Last time I was there I overhead a little boy who’s comment to his dad really summed up the place best. «They closed down the park and turned it into a yard sale.»