City Wide Yard Sale, Chili/BBQ Cookoff Return Saturday

    The 23rd edition of Umatilla's City-Wide Yard Sale arrives this Saturday, March 2. Beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing until 1 p.m., Umatilla will come alive with nearly 100-yard sales expected throughout the community, with a home base at the Umatilla Public Library. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Umatilla Library, and has grown into a major fundraiser for the support organization.
   Officials with the library on Monday said all available spaces at the library, 40 in all, have been sold, and an additional 38 sales have registered to be included on the map. That number doesn’t include any sales not formally registered, or sale locations with multiple participants. As an example, the Dona Vista Market is having a group sale. Meaningful Milestones Academy, at the intersection of Kentucky Avenue and Guerrant Street, is joining its host Calvary Chapel of the Lakes for the event, with the church passing out free hot dogs and bottled water.
   “Thanks to the community support, we have raised $990 for the Summer Reading Program,” said Amy Stultz, who oversees the operation of the Umatilla Public Library. “Printed map sales will raise more, and the Friends’ Annual Book Sale will be the second half.”
   In addition, a large book sale will be held inside the library, and the Friends group will be selling raffle tickets on a large quilt, which has a 'Be My Neighbor' theme. Tickets for the quilt are $10 each, with a drawing set for early May.
   The library is located at 412 Hatfield Drive, just north of McDonald’s. The area marks the epicenter of the event, but over the years sales throughout town have raised the event’s profile to one of the largest days of Umatilla commerce on the annual calendar.
   To learn more about the event, visit www.umatillalibrary.org/cwys.

   After a day of shopping on Saturday, area residents are encouraged to skip cooking dinner and instead head to Sunsational Farms, where the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its 8th Annual BBQ and Chili Cookoff. Running from 4-8 p.m., the event will include samplings from over 15 entries, live entertainment, raffles, a beer and wine tent, and more.
   The event provides area businesses and not-for-profits a chance to market to a large crowd by entering a team for competition, with hundreds of dollars of prizes and bragging rights on the line. Chili and BBQ entries will receive awards in both secret judging and people's choice voting, as well as for best-decorated booth.
   Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students, and free for children ages four and under.
   The Umatilla Kiwanis Club will again provide a beer and wine tent for the event, and live entertainment will be provided by the Time Machine Band.
   Entries are still being accepted, and to get your team into the competition, call Jenny Bryan at 352-636-4893 or Lisa Neuman at 352-516-3013.