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Mike, Melissa and Ruvini visit an Ottawa institution: The Great Glebe Garage Sale
Local musicians filled the streets (and porches) of this year's Great Glebe Garage Sale
Mike Cullen is a young public servant who is also a regular contributor to (Cult)ure Magazine as a music editorialist. His passions include music, coffee, writing, travel and comic books.
The Great Glebe Garage Sale has become an institution in the last two decades. During this special day, the Glebe comes alive as junk is turned into treasure, bargain hunters prowl the streets, and everyone comes out with the expectation that they will walk away with something. Garage sales aren’t usually my thing, but making the Great Glebe Garage Sale into a spectator’s sport turns out to be quite a bit of fun.
With bags strapped to ourselves, myself and two friends, Melissa and Ruvini walked over to the Glebe yesterday morning. We had a later start than most people, and by 9 a.m. the city streets in the Glebe were already packed.
Local Tourist Mel, at the Great Glebe Garage Sale
We weren’t looking for anything in particular, but I did joke that I was in search of a six piece dining room set with diamond chandelier for under fifty bucks (for a bachelor apartment that is already filled, no less). With spirits high, and a coffee in hand for this intrepid writer, we started out. There was a lot going on, and it seems that the community was determined to make this the best garage sale yet.
There were local bands jamming on porches, plenty of community organizations taking part, and of course there were the Glebites looking to sell their wares.
Mel walked away with a Jade plant from one organization, and I got a fantastic bamboo plant from her as a recent housewarming. I was able to find some comic book inspired toys to keep my borderline ADD mind occupied when I write.
Comic book toys for Mike, obviously
However, where I struck out on garage sale finds, I made up for in the boutiques along Bank Street. Nearly all of the stores were posting mega sales, and a trip into clothing store Slaysh came my big purchase of the day: WESC Jeans for seventy percent off! I practically walked out of the store with them for a song! Despite the fact that a good chunk of Bank Street in the Glebe is fenced off for pending road construction, the foot traffic in the stores was heavy with lots of like-minded people looking for that special deal.
Sadly, Ruvini came home empty handed, but not one to let something like this get her down, she showed off some sweet hooping skills.
Ruvini trying her hand (and hips) at hula-hooping
All in all, the Great Glebe Garage Sale was still a resounding success, and I’m already looking forward to 2012!
Thanks for the great post Mike!
Local Tourist Ottawa 