GREENFIELD — The Early Wheels of Iowa Swap Meet will have its 58th edition the weekend of Sept. 11-12 here. Organizers agree that it has been about 30 years that the event at Adair County Fairgrounds has been held here.
According to Stacie Hull, Greenfield Chamber/Main Street and Development Executive Director, there will also be citywide garage sales that weekend in Greenfield. In Fontanelle, Kalvin Edwards will be having a garage sale to benefit the Adair County Historical Society at 1205 Washington St.
Andrea Woodruff is the Swap Meet Chair for Early Wheels of Iowa and said the group, which exists to invest in the restoration and preservation projects of old vehicles, is excited to have the 2020 Swap Meet.
“We gave it a lot of thought on whether to have it or not but we decided to because the state said we could,” Woodruff said, citing that there’s nothing in current guidance that stops events like swap meets from happening. “We’re ready to get started.”
Woodruff explained that because Early Wheels of Iowa is a non-profit organization, they donate earnings from the Swap Meet back to local and national causes, like the Iowa Aviation Museum, the Warren Cultural Center, and the auto restoration program at McPherson College in Kansas.
Precautions to consider when attending garage sales
Local health officials caution in the midst of it all that safety should be of highest importance when attending any and all of these events, even if they’re outdoor affairs.
Adair County Health System Vice President/CEO Marcia Hendricks said that the biggest concern at a garage sale is that “everybody touches things.”
“Everybody touches things, even if you’re socially distant, wearing a mask and going straight to your car when you’re done,” Hendricks said.
Hendricks suggested those hosting garage sales ask shoppers to wear masks even if the garage sale is outside. She also suggested heavy hand sanitizer use upon arrival and departure from the event.
“That way they know people who are entering have sanitized hands if they’re touching things,” Hendricks said.
Hendricks said that she would classify hold a garage sale as “risky” but she understands people want to move on with their lives.
“People want to live their lives and need to live their lives, so I think you just be as careful as you can be,” she said. “If I felt I had to go to a garage sale I’d be masking up and using hand sanitizer upon arriving and upon leaving.”
To place a garage sale advertisement in the Fontanelle Observer or Adair County Free Press, call 641-782-2141, ext. 6441, for assistance.
A Greenfield city map will accompany garage sale listings, similar to in years past, in the Sept. 9 edition.
Deadline for the Sept. 9 editions of the newspapers will be Thursday at 11 a.m. for the Observer and noon Friday for the Free Press due to Labor Day.