A yard sale Seaside style

SEASIDE — It’s become one of the most popular events in South Walton.

The region’s largest community yard sale, which is held in Seaside twice a year, will return Feb. 11 to the town's Amphitheatre.

The event features merchant vendors, families, and friends who have banded together and cleaned out their stores, closets and garages of all excess.

The vendors come from as far away as Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia. It attracts a large number of people, many local and many from out of town who look forward to the treasure hunt/shopping experience.

Vickie Miller is a shop owner in Seaside who has participated in the yard sale for five years. She uses the opportunity to move her old inventory of jewelry, scarves and purses.

"We always do well," she said. "It's always well attended and we really slash prices."

Neely Butler agrees. She divides her time between Nashville and South Walton, where she owns Teely's Boutique in Seacrest, a women's clothing store. This will be only her second time to participate in the yard sale, but she is returning because she did exceptionally well on her first outing.

Barbara Williams of Mobile, Ala., is also one of those who have participated in the event twice a year for the past five years. She loads up her SUV and brings jewelry, purses, home décor, lamps, pictures, clothes, cork tables and other furniture over for the sale. She said the trip is well worth the effort as she usually does between $800 to $1,000 worth of business every time.

The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 11, and will feature music from 30A Radio MC'd by a live DJ throughout the day.

Begun more than a decade ago by Seaside merchants, event producer Adam Shiland said shoppers can typically find anything from antiques and beach furniture to clothing and fishing rods.

"Most people like to get there early to have their pick of the best items," said Shiland.

And for the items that don't sell, Caring & Sharing comes out toward the end of the event and many vendors donate whatever is left to a good cause.