SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN — People wandered through the packed apparatus bays carrying armloads of books, lamps, jackets, skis, kitchen gadgets, rugs, and strange treasures that only seem to appear at mountain garage sales. 

One table held tomato starts hardened for mountain weather. Another displayed jewelry and curiosities. Somewhere in the mix sat an armored chestplate waiting for its next owner.

The annual sale, held May 22 through 25 at Station 2 on Sugarloaf Road, has grown into the department’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Volunteers said the event has been happening for decades, possibly since the 1960s.

“It’s very typical for people to buy stuff at the sale this year and donate it next year,” a volunteer said with a laugh.

The sale filled nearly every corner of the fire station. Outside the bays were desks, dressers, tables, armoires, camping gear, sporting equipment, and bags of every kind. Inside, shoppers squeezed between racks of clothing and stacks of household goods while volunteers continuously reorganized the flow of merchandise.

From antique helmets and swords to unusual collectibles, the sale featured plenty of unique finds.

Photo by Mindy Leary

Poppy’s Coffee truck stayed busy outside, serving drinks beside the bustling crowds. A small dog in a sweater greeted customers near the trailer while shoppers moved between coffee, plants, and bargains.

Dave “Fish” Fischman, a longtime volunteer firefighter, said the entire department helps make the event happen.

“We start taking donations in the middle of April,” Fischman said. It’s a huge effort to arrange the fundraiser. “I’d say close to about 40, 50 people,” he said.

By the time the doors opened, dozens of people had already spent weeks sorting, cleaning, organizing, and staging the massive inventory.

Last year’s fundraiser brought in just over $50,000, according to volunteers. The money supports operations, gear, and capital improvements for the department. But Fischman said the impact stretches far beyond Sugarloaf.

“It not just supports Sugarloaf, it also supports Four Mile and Nederland and Gold Hill and all the other neighboring fire departments,” he said. “It supports the mountain community as a whole.”

The plant section was one of the busiest corners of the event. Volunteers offered houseplants, vegetable starts, herbs, and peppers already acclimated to mountain growing conditions.

“These plants are already mountain-ready,” Fischman said. “They’re hardened to the mountain conditions.”

Tables overflowed with varieties, including Cherokee Purple tomatoes, Brandywine tomatoes, jalapeños, serranos, habaneros, and even Trinidad Scorpion chocolate peppers.

Volunteer Lauren Peterson said the fundraiser succeeds because it belongs to the entire community. Firefighters, Friends of Sugarloaf volunteers, and residents all pitch in to help.

“It definitely is a huge community event,” Peterson said.

By Sunday afternoon, the deals at the Sugarloaf Fire Department garage sale were impossible to beat. Everything left was free.

Shoppers browse tables filled with kitchenware, books, and household treasures inside the Sugarloaf Fire Department garage sale.

Photo by Mindy Leary

Even after the sale ended, the giving continued. Volunteers discussed donating leftover clothing and materials to other local nonprofits, and possibly the Mountain Forum for Peace garage sale happening in Nederland, May 29-31.

For four days, the fire station became something more than a fundraiser. It was a treasure hunt, a reunion, a recycling effort, and a mountain tradition.