We often think of spring as the season for cleaning and decluttering our homes, closets and garages. The fresh spring air and moderate temperatures seem ideal for opening the windows, tackling those forgotten corners and finally getting rid of the things that have been piling up over the winter.
But I would argue that fall is just as good a time for a reset.
There is something about the change of seasons that makes us want to start fresh. As the kids head back to school and the air takes on that familiar crispness, fall can feel like its own kind of new beginning. Summer toys and camping gear start making their way back into storage, the colder months are on the horizon and many of us begin thinking about hosting friends and family over the holidays. Before we settle in for another winter, it can be a good time to take stock of what we actually need and what might be better off finding a new home.
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) is hoping to help residents with that fall cleanout by bringing its annual Trunk Sale back to Golden. The sale will take place in the parking lot of the Golden and District Centennial Arena on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon.
“The purpose of the event is to load up your car with stuff you no longer need and sell it, rather than throwing it away. Rather than hosting a sale on your own, this event brings people together for a garage sale on a much larger scale,” says Graham Casselman, the CSRD’s Waste Reduction Coordinator.
The concept is simple. Vendors drive to the arena, park their vehicles and sell their unwanted items directly from their trunks, creating a collection of mini garage sales in one location.
Rather than sending those unwanted belongings to the landfill, the Trunk Sale gives them an opportunity to find a second life. For sellers, it is a chance to clear some space at home while making a little money. For shoppers, it is an opportunity to find something they need, want or perhaps did not know they were looking for, all while buying second-hand.
The event is part of the CSRD’s broader efforts to encourage waste diversion and reduce the amount of material being sent to landfills.
“The CSRD just renewed the Solid Waste Management plan. The plan outlines several strategies to encourage greater waste diversion. The Trunk Sale is one of these strategies,” Casselman adds.
The event also offers a different approach to the traditional garage sale. Instead of spending a weekend setting up signs, tables and displays outside your home and hoping people drive by, residents can bring their items together with other sellers in one central location.
For those interested in becoming a vendor, registration is free, but vendors are required to sign up in advance. To register, contact the CSRD’s Waste Reduction Coordinator at 250-833-5936 or gcasselman@csrd.bc.ca. The deadline to register is Thursday, September 10.
And you do not have to have a garage full of unwanted belongings to take part. Shoppers are welcome to come browse the selection and see what the community has to offer.
As the seasons change and summer slowly gives way to fall, the Trunk Sale offers a chance to do a little more than simply clean out a closet. It is an opportunity to pass along things that still have some life left in them, find useful items at a good price and keep perfectly usable belongings from becoming waste.
Sometimes a fall reset does not have to mean throwing things away. It can simply mean finding them a new place to go.
