Our goal for the Lite Rock 95.9 • Rock 93.7 • 106-9 Kicks Country • News Talk 94.1 Dream Sweep Yard Sale: help you sell as much of your stuff as possible by getting as many people through the gates as possible — and have lots of fun.
With that goal in mind, we’ve compiled answers to frequently-asked questions about the event.
If you still have a question, feel free to email us.
Click here for directions to the Putnam County Fairgrounds.
Will I Have An Assigned Space?
Your space at the Dream Sweep Yard Sale will be assigned when you pay for your space. Expect an email within 3 business days with your reservation. A map will be included.
As A Vendor, Do I Get Passes Into The Yard Sale?
We will provide each yard sale entrant with two vendor passes. This pass grants you access for setup Friday and/or Saturday as well as admission to the Yard Sale. You will also receive one parking pass for usage inside the fairgrounds facility.
For groups needing additional vendor passes (charities, churches, or multi-family sellers), please contact us for information on additional vendor passes. Should you need additional parking for the yard sale, please use public parking lots located along Walnut Avenue and Veterans Drive.
Your two vendor passes and one parking pass will provide you access for up to three vehicles during Friday’s setup. You must have your pass for setup to protect all of our sellers from “early browsers.” You may exit and re-enter the fairgrounds with additional loads as many times as needed during Friday’s setup hours.
What Are The Hours Of The Sale?
Gates open promptly at 7:30am Saturday May 13th. The sale ends at 4pm. If you sellout, you can leave early, but you will not have access to drive into the event area.
For all other sellers, however, we ask as a courtesy to everyone involved, please do not packup early.
Vehicles will be allowed to access the event area at approximately 4:10pm.
Do I Get To Keep All The Money That I Make From My Sales?
Yes. All the money that you make from your items is yours.
Can I Donate Items I Don’t Want To Take Back?
Absolutely. We will be working with roughly a dozen local charities, including Teen Challenge of the Upper Cumberland, who will sell your donated items in their thrift stores to fund local non-profits. You will be contacted in your booth around 2:30pm on the day of the sale with instructions to donate. Please help us and the charities by discarding of trash and junk as well as worthless items BEFORE making a donation. This simply reduces the good that you do with your donation. Donating items is optional — you can choose some items, no items, or all items.
When Do I Setup My Booth?
You have multiple options in regard to setting up your booth. The most successful approach from previous vendors: bring your loads of merchandise Friday. Setup your tables and/or display space. Tarp your belongings. Arrive Saturday morning and simply park. Walk to your booth with your money, snacks, sunscreen and a few final items. Display your wares Saturday morning.
Friday’s setup takes place from 11am to 7pm. Please bring your vendor passes for access. You may enter and exit the grounds with as many loads as needed. Security will be provided to protect the Fairgrounds overnight. No one will be allowed to spend the night in the Fairgrounds.
On Saturday, the fairgrounds will open at 5:15am. However, vehicles may only access booths until 6:30am. At 6:30am, all vehicles must be out of the event area in order to protect vendors and customers.
For those wanting to simply come on Saturday morning and do it all, please note…you will NOT have time to access the fairgrounds more than once. You will not have time to exit and enter with a second load. Also, the Fairgrounds is not completely lighted…so it will take you longer to get in and out and find your booth for the first time.
Vendors who simply want to park and walk to their booth for final setup need to be in their booth by 7:15am Saturday. Please remember to allot plenty of time as your fellow vendors will also be accessing the grounds….some unloading….some going to their booth for the first time….and some simply parking. Please assist us in planning your setup carefully and giving yourself plenty of time.
How Big Are The Booths?
Booth sizes are 20×20 or 20×40. These provide you with plenty of room to showoff your wares. A 20×20 booth is about the size of a car.
Can I Buy More Than One Booth?
Yes. We’re happy to provide as much selection to shoppers as possible. However, if you wish for the booths to be side-by-side, they must be of the same size.
Can Several People Go In Together On One Space?
Absolutely. Just be careful not to fill your space too full. Make sure people have room to browse.
Can My Booth Be Next To My Friend?
Yes. However, please purchase your booths on the same form. Hand your friend the price of her booth to make it simple all.
What If I Find So Much Stuff, Can I Change The Size Of My Booth?
Unfortunately, no. Please assess your stuff before you signup and make sure you have enough room.
Can I Request My Booth From Last Year?
You are welcome to make that detailed request — preferably with your booth number — on the entry form. However, your booth may have already been sold. We sell booths on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Are There Special Booth Areas?
We have a special booth area for furniture and appliances and other big items. We have set aside space that allows customers to load and unload near this area. If you plan to sell MULTIPLE big items, please note this on your entry form so we can assist your customers.
I’ve Heard About A 10×10 Booth?
We want to help those sellers who just have a couple of tables of stuff that they would like to sell. We’ve created the Arena Sale with 10×10 booths (roughly 2 6-foot tables placed in a V-Shape — tables not included). These are a great way to be a part of the sale without large amounts of stuff to sell. These booths are in the Arena and do not have vehicle access. You will receive special parking near the Arena to help with unloading. These 10×10 mini booths are limit one per household.
What If It Rains?
We will make a weather call prior to Friday’s setup if Saturday conditions are going to be extreme with consistent rain and/or storms. If the weather forecast appears to be hit and miss rain of a light nature, we will likely go as scheduled.
We will contact vendors via email and announce often on the radio via Lite Rock 95.9, Rock 93-7, 106-9 Kicks Country, and News Talk 94.1/AM 1600.
How Should I Price My Items?
Feel free to use stickers or post-it-notes taped to the items. Whatever works best for you is fine with us.
What Is The Half-Price Bargain Blitz?
In an effort to give you one last push on Saturday, we are planning a two-hour bargain blitz. This will be announced on the radio at lunchtime Saturday with __% of our booths selling their wares at half price between 2pm and 4pm.
This is a totally optional program. You may take certain items out — and not offer them for sale during this period. Simply, we want to help you make as much money as possible.
Please check whether you plan to participate on your entry form.
Do I Need A Sign?
Only if you want it and it doesn’t block your neighbor’s booth.
Can I Bring A Pop-Up Tent?
Absolutely. If it fits in your space, you can bring a pop-up tent. However, your tent must be secured properly within your space to protect yourself and others from wind gusts. You can use weighting, like sandbags, or stakes, though many booths are on asphalt.
Please help us keep everyone safe by paying special attention to the security of your tent.
Also, tents are for shading of you and your merchandise. You may not stay overnight in the tent inside the event area.
Will Tables Be Provided?
Bluewaters Equipment Rental is our preferred vendor for tables. They will make tables available for rent on a first-come, first-serve basis at their location on Jackson Street. To save expense, consider sawhorses and pieces of plywood. They make sturdy tables and are easy to transport.
If you plan to have tables delivered by an outside firm, please call Lehra at (931) 528-6064 before May 5th with the time and company. We will not be able to accommodate outside deliveries without prior notice.
Will There Be Concessions?
Yes. Concessions will be available as part of fund-raisers for community organizations.
What If I Cannot Leave My Booth And I’m Hungry?
As an added service to our vendors in 2017, we will have teams visiting every vendor between 10am-11am to take lunch orders. You will have order forms provided to you during check-in. You may also feel free to bring your own…for your own use. No food or drink sales.
What Should I Bring?
Bring plenty of change. Bring more than you think you might need. People often forget to bring enough change for their transactions.
Also, don’t forget sunscreen, a hat, a chair, snacks and drinks.
What Should I Not Bring?
Pets. County ordinance prohibits animals of any kind in the Fairgrounds. This is a county law and will be enforced. No pets are allowed in the fairgrounds area.
Also, no firearms or weapons are allowed on county property. This includes holders of concealed weapons permits.
Where Will I Park?
Vendors will be allowed to unload in the yard sale area Friday and Saturday morning before 6:15am.
During the sale, each vendor will receive one parking pass for use in three areas of secure vendor parking available inside the fairgrounds gates. Please follow the directions of sheriff’s deputies upon parking. Lock your vehicle and please do not block anyone in.
A map will be provided at payment to give you the layout of the fairgrounds.
Vehicles can come and go from this areas as needed during the day Saturday. However, access to the event area will not begin until 4:10pm — once all patrons have left the area.
What About Vehicles In The Yard Sale Grounds?
To protect vendors and customers, we will not allow any vehicles inside the Yard Sale Area after 6:15am Saturday. Should you want to keep your vehicle inside your booth for rest/restocking, you may do so, provided the vehicle fits completely inside your booth.
However, the vehicle cannot leave the grounds until 4:10pm. If you sellout early, you may lock your vehicle and come back to pick it up at 4:10pm. Similarly, if you sellout early, you may not bring a vehicle into the Yard Sale grounds to load up tables, chairs, etc. until 4:10pm.
This is for the safety of everyone involved.
What If I Sell A Large Item? How Does Someone Move It?
If you are inside the big item area, you will find instructions in your check-in packet on how your customers can access a special self-loading center. You and your customer will be responsible for getting items to this area.
Are There Restrooms Available?
Yes, restrooms will be available in the normal spots at the Fairgrounds.
Lite Rock 95.9 The Upper Cumberland's Home Of Lite Rock
Allison Wheedon is a teacher at Park View Elementary in Cookeville. Ms. Wheedon has been teaching there for 7 years now, and enjoys teaching all of the subjects to her students. Ms. Wheedon keeps things interesting by using a lot of team-based games and activities. Ms. Wheedon was nominated by one of her students for, “Ms. Wheedon makes learning fun, and like a game with her lessons.”
Peggy Anderson is a teacher at the Adult Learning Center. Inspired by her students’ desire to learn after having entered into the work force, Ms. Anderson follows in her teachers’ footsteps to provide adults of all ages with the education that they deserve. Ms. Anderson was nominated for, “Her patience and willingness to help out each of her students.”
Robin Hord of Gordonsville High School is this week’s Dream Big Scholar.
Terri Wheeler is a 4th grade teacher at Cane Creek Elementary. Ms. Wheeler got into teaching as a way to give back to the community. Ms. Wheeler is always trying to find fun, new ways of keeping her students engaged and interested in learning. Ms. Wheeler was nominated for, “Keeping things entertaining in the class room. My son has so much fun in her class. Recently, he’s had to study the moon, and make observations. How fun is that!”
Donna Emmons is a freshman English and journalism teacher at DeKalb County High School. Originally working in the paralegal field, Ms. Emmon’s interest in teaching was sparked by her children and her work in education. Additionally, Ms. Emmons advises the student media group, and oversees the school’s magazine. Ms. Emmon’s was nominated for, “Treating her students like a team. She motivates us to be the best students that we can be, and we motivate her by working alongside her on assignments and projects. She makes her lessons focus on learning instead of test scores, which is a nice change of pace from some of my other classes.”
Beth Cantrell is the computer lab teacher at Smithville Elementary. This is the first year that Smithville Elementary has a computer lab, and Ms. Cantrell’s students enjoy the many different types of lessons involving the computers. Ms. Cantrell was nominated for, “Always having something fun to teach us in class like animations.”
Lite Rock 95.9 and The Tennessee Credit Union recognized Macey Sommer, a senior at Cookeville High School, as a Dream Big Scholar.
