Hundreds flock to the annual Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale

The Great Gilmour St. garage sale returned Saturday, filling the street with bargain-hunters.

The annual event sees residents up and down the street empty their basements and attics, filling front yards with everything from kitschy knick-knacks to antiques and collectibles.

Carolyn Loeb moved onto Gilmour St. with her family a few months ago. She said the sale was one of the first things she heard about.

“As soon as we moved in, people were telling us, ‘Oh, you have to come, you have to sell your stuff,'” she said with a laugh.

But she wasn’t told exactly how big the sale would get.

“We had heard there were going to be lots, and then we heard thousands, and so that was a bit of a surprise.”

READ MORE: What Calgarians need to know before visiting or hosting a garage sale

Musician Lauryn MacFarlane grew up on Gilmour. She spent the morning busking for a few bucks while taking in the crowds.

“I remember being super, super little, and barely getting any sleep the night before, because you’re just so excited,” she said. “There’s so many people.”

READ MORE: Peterborough family hosting yard sale to raise money for local school’s Terry Fox Run

She said the day has gone beyond selling old stuff. Now, she said, a lot of these good bargains go to some good causes.

“A lot of the houses here, they sold all their stuff over the years, so they’ve offered their properties up for different charities to make money,” she said.

READ MORE: Garage Sale Safety

Operation Catnip, which helps stray and feral cats through its trap, neuter and release program, managed to score prime real estate, taking up the front lawn of a house in the middle of the street.

“It’s probably one of our biggest fundraisers every year. We get donated items from people, and we use the funds to cover the cost of our operation,” said volunteer Monique Beneteau.