By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
To raise money for a volunteer fire company, the Ladies Auxiliary with Flagtown Fire Co. No. 1 is holding its semiannual indoor flea market on Saturday for anyone looking for good deals on a wide array of products.
The flea market is an opportunity for about 30 vendors to sell all sorts of household items to Hillsborough residents and other guests.
According to Gail Fernicola, member of the Ladies Auxiliary and coordinator for the event, there will be booths for clothing, jewelry and household materials, as well as an antiques dealer.
”There is a little bit of everything,” she said. “We’ve never had any complaints and we try to please everyone.”
The event will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the municipal building. This room, Ms. Fernicola said, can fit about 30 different vendors, although she would love to be able to include more.
”We usually have some of the same vendors each year,” she said. “They are selling items you might find at a garage sale.”
Ms. Fernicola said they tried holding a craft fair once, but the response was not as positive.
These vendors come from all around the area, Ms. Fernicola said, including Bridgewater, Bedminster, Lambertville, Bound Brook and other locations. She said many are often just pleased with the additional customers they get through this event.
Tables for the vendors cost individually $20, or $35 for two tables. This money goes to the Ladies Auxiliary, and is later distributed to the fire company for use in maintaining materials for the company.
”This event is a way to raise money and keep people aware of these volunteers,” she said. “And it is nice to meet so many people.”
According to Ms. Fernicola, the Ladies Auxiliary has been holding the event twice a year for several years now, usually in the spring and fall. Although she said she is never sure exactly how many people are in attendance each year, she is proud to constantly see more and more, especially after the last one in November.
”There were a lot of people and the vendors were very happy,” she said. “(But) everyone just comes and goes throughout the day.”
In addition to purchasing from the vendors, Ms. Fernicola said, guests are welcome to purchase a homemade lunch served by the Ladies Auxiliary, and which this year includes choices of egg salad, tuna fish, chicken noodle soup and other items.
”We always do well on that,” she said. “In fact, I had someone say to me (one year) that we don’t charge enough.”
For Ms. Fernicola — who calls herself a “garage sale fanatic” — aside from raising funds for the fire company, the best part about the flea market is all the people involved.
”It is nice to meet so many new people,” she said.
For more information, contact Ms. Fernicola at 908-369-4811.
