Paint Inola Green

Inola’s second annual citywide garage sale will be held Saturday, March 16.

As the old adage goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Regardless of the ­origin of this saying, it is ­definitely true when it comes to garage sales.

    “Paint Inola Green,” is the theme of the second annual ­citywide garage sale set for Saturday, March 16, according to Carolyn Dormier, owner of Carolcells Connection and event organizer. “It’s a chance to ­celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the beginning of spring as well as for people to get involved in the community,” she says. “People can get out and meet their ­neighbors and do some bargain shopping at the same time.”

    Individuals, families and businesses participated in last year’s debut event. “We had more than 20 participants, and the crowds were so large that people couldn’t get out of their driveways because we were so busy.”

    One individual even drove his pickup truck to town, where he set up shop on Main Street. “He sold every item he brought, which included appliances, TVs and furniture,” she added.

    Looking to grow the event, Dormier welcomes others to bring their “treasures” to town to sell. “They will, however, need to get permission from the property owner to set up,” she says. “I have space in the parking lot of Carolcells for people to sell their stuff. My business is located at 222 E. Commercial St.,” she adds. “If anyone is interested,  they can call (918) 543-6400 or go to Inola Net Working on Facebook.”

    While Main Street will be the site of many of the sales, according to Dormier, “Last year, we had a lot of people with garage sales at their homes throughout the town and in the rural area. We will have free maps available the day of the sale to help people locate those not on Main Street.” Maps can be picked up at Carolcells Connection beginning at 8 a.m.

    Last year’s sale included craft vendors like Twisted Family Crafts, which sell ­wooden items including ­birdhouses. “We encourage ­others who sell crafts to participate,” she adds. “There is no fee to set up.” Dormier, a crafter herself, will be offering lessons on how to make doll clothes and sock ­monkeys at her shop.

    Civic groups and organizations are also encouraged to get involved by using the event as a fundraiser. “For example,” Dormier says, “they could host a bake sale or sell barbeque.”

    Out-of-town vendors are also welcome. Last year, the cousin of an Inola business ­owner, Samantha DoBoer, brought her assorted baby items from Broken Arrow to sell. “She did really well,” says DoBoer, who owns Salon 7 with her mother, Karen Froese. Salon 7, which held its grand opening with a ribbon cutting at last year’s garage sale, will be ­celebrating one year in business.

    Jim Loyd and the River Road Band will be providing live music at his store, Loyd and Sons, by the traffic light (time and weather permitting). They also perform free the second Saturday of the month at Inola Senior Center. While much of the activity occurs around the small town’s traffic light, Dormier encourages shoppers to “not limit yourself to that area. That’s where the crowd was last year, but plenty of bargains can be found throughout the ­community and into the rural parts of Inola.”

    Dormier encourages ­everyone to come and browse through the clothing, antiques, glassware, furniture, household items and appliances.

    For those who want to ­participate in this year’s garage sale, the deadline to be included in the “Inola Independent” newspaper ad is Monday, March 11 at noon. To advertise, contact Dormier through email or leave a message on her phone.

For more information, contact

Carolcells Connection

222 E. Commercial St.

Inola, OK 74036

(918) 543-6400