The South End Business Alliance (SEBA), a volunteer organization representing and supporting the network of businesses and nonprofits in the South End, is hosting its annual Sidewalk Sale from August 12 to 14.
The sale will include businesses, restaurants, and residents of all kinds participating in a neighborhood-wide ‘tag sale’ taking place directly on the sidewalks and streets of the South End.
Whereas the event used to be primarily for businesses and restaurants in the area, according to Randi Grohe Lathrop, SEBA Government Relations Board Member, this year SEBA invited everyone residing in the South End to participate.
“This year, we expanded further where we reached out to all the neighborhood associations and said, hey, if you're a neighbor and you want to put a table out on your sidewalk, to sell things, like a tag sale, you can do that too,” she said. “So, we are kind of celebrating the South End, celebrating the retailers, celebrating the restaurants.”
For the entire weekend, the usual government regulation for permits required to sell on the streets is exempt, according to Lathrop.
“The mayor’s office basically waves permits for the weekend. Retailers can put out, or a resident can put out a table in front of their business or in front of their building, as long as they have four feet for people to walk by unobstructed,” Lathrop said.
The sale, which has been occurring for nearly a decade, was originally started as a way for people to clear out their belongings during the peak days of summer vacations. It has since evolved to be a community event that supports local businesses and restaurants.
Lathrop explained how SEBA designed this year’s event to be more inclusive in the hopes that the sidewalk sale will bring people from outside the neighborhood and even the city to come in and experience all that the area has to offer.
“A lot of people come into the South End and hopefully they’ll make a weekend out of it or two days out of it. We are saying you can shop, you can stay, you can eat, you can dine,” Lathrop said.
