The Seminole City Council has agreed to waive permit fees for the annual City-Wide Garage Sale. The event, which traditionally has been held the first weekend in June, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 epidemic. It is scheduled to take place the weekend of August 7-9.

The City-Wide Garage Sale has been a summertime staple in Seminole since former Seminole Producer owner Stu Philips came up with the concept. Current Producer Publisher Mike Gifford recounts that, “Stu envisioned setting aside one weekend a year would encourage more shoppers to come into Seminole and increase foot traffic for everyone having a sale,” and his vision has certainly come to fruition in the years since.

“I guess you could say people are excited about it– City Hall receives an average of four phone calls a day asking when the City-Wide Sale will be,” reports Seminole Community Development Director Sharon Emmitt.

However, those interested in participating in the event should be aware that, although the City Council has agreed to waive fees for the garage sale, a permit is still needed. According to Emmitt, “We still need the public to request their permits, because it would be counted towards the three sales they are allowed each year.”

If the permit request is received prior to the sale, the cost is $5, and if written on the day of the sale, it is $20. This cost has been put in place solely to cover the cost of the paper needed to print the rules and permits and is certainly not a means for the city to make a profit over the event, assures Emmitt. “It is not a huge money generator for the city,” states the Development Director, “and it was never meant to be.”

Emmitt does emphasize how important it is to secure a permit by cautioning, “What many folks don’t understand is if you are caught without a $5 permit, you could receive a ticket with a fine of up to $350.” However, as long as a participant has their permit by the weekend of August 7, they should have no problem taking part in the City-Wide Sale.