By Chrissy Chrzan et.al.
The sun was shining, the grills were sizzling, and the music was pumping at this year’s North End Garage Sale and Block Party – a day that brought neighbours, friends, and families together in the best way possible.
From early morning bargain hunters to evening dancers, the event was packed with energy and heart. Over 40 homes participated in the community-wide garage sale, and about 10 booths at Welcome Inn. Thank you to Annabel Krupp and Cat McKay for helping with signage and marketing materials for the event and to Kristina, Sheri, Cassandra and Kelsey for help at Welcome Inn. A huge thank you to Welcome Inn for the generous donation of lawn space for the day – it was fun to see the community out and about!
The community generosity didn’t stop at the garage sale as the party continued over at the North End Block Party. Renee and John grilled up a mountain of hotdogs, Joel kept everyone going with delicious sandwiches, and Abed served up his famous falafel. Special thanks to Maria, who handed out what seemed like 500 Freezies – a perfect treat on a warm summer day – and to everyone who brought homemade sweets and snacks to share.
Kids had a blast thanks to Amaraine and Jelka, who led fun games and activities throughout the afternoon. Meanwhile, Daniil offered free bike tune-ups that kept wheels turning and spirits high. A huge thanks goes out to all the musical acts: Anne Marie Pavlov & Tony T, BA Johnston, Jack Stearns Ley, Matias & Felix Rozenberg, Jupiter Allan, all the members of Earth Wind and Choir and Colin & Peter. Very special thanks to Phil and Jack, who made sure everything sounded amazing from start to finish.
Pulling off an event like this takes a village, and we’re grateful to the setup and take-down crew, as well as the Traffic Control team, for their professionalism and support. The day ran smoothly thanks to their efforts behind the scenes. We also want to thank the City of Hamilton staff and the Ward 2 office for their support in making this celebration possible. And to Stevan Garic for organizing the Block Party and Chrissy Chrzan for organizing the garage sale. Most of all, thanks to everyone who showed up — who danced, sang, laughed, connected, sold some of their things or picked up new finds and made this one of the most memorable days of the summer. The North End once again proved that community is about showing up, pitching in, and celebrating each other.
Here’s to next year! If you have any ideas of how to make this big North End day better next year please email northendgaragesale@gmail.com or northendparty@gmail.com and to donate to Welcome Inn as well please visit https://welcomeinn.ca/donate/
