FALL EVENT CANCELED - OCTOBER 3, 2020 

In response to the ongoing pandemic, and out of an abundance of caution, the Public Works Department has made the decision to cancel the Fall Citywide Garage Sale.  However, if residents would still like to host a personal garage sale, the City wants to encourage community members to do so, being sure to follow the safety guidelines below:

• Conduct the sale outdoors
• Require face and nose coverings/masks at all times
• Require social distancing of at least 6 feet
• Regularly sanitize high contact area(s)
• Provide hand sanitizer
• Encourage use of online or contactless payment
• Comply with all County health orders

When in the new normal:  This event is rain or shine.  In inclement weather, it will be the host's purview to cancel or proceed.

dID You Know?

In 1990, El Cerrito resident, Marianne Hegeman, proposed the concept of a Citywide Garage Sale to the El Cerrito City Council. Hegeman, an avid proponent of reuse and recycling, got the idea shortly after the Loma Prieta earthquake in October 1989, when many residents in El Cerrito could not have their home foundations inspected because their garages were packed full of stuff. The City Council endorsed the idea and the City has held one or two garage sales per year ever since.

Each year the City’s Recycling + Environmental Resource Center designates a date for residents who want to participate and hold their own garage sales. The City then advertises and promotes the event, attracting shoppers from all over the East Bay. The event not only promotes reuse, it also gives residents a chance to get rid of clutter; it is a fun community event and a chance to get to know neighbors.