MATTHEWS, Ind.— Every September, Matthew’s holds a Covered Bridge Festival for their town. Local residents take advantage of the extra traffic and have a town-wide garage sale.
For miles, there are country roads lined up with bright sale signs, but there is one sign in particular that is special.
The Glaze family began putting out neon orange signs for their big sale 35 years ago. Starting with Shirley Glaze, and now being passed down to her granddaughter, Kelsi Buckner.
“It's something we look forward to every year. You know… we make the memories, we go get our tenderloins every year, and our elephant ear and we come back and enjoy family time.”
Buckner has children whom she plans to teach how to run the sale as well.
Apart from being a heartwarming tradition, they’re rummage is very popular in their town.
Glaze’s daughter, Nikki Bookout, has also been participating in the sale for most of her life.
Bookout explains how people come from outside, not just the county, but the state to make purchases. The family prices everything low, but is still willing to cut the price for any buyer.
“Well, it's a thing people come and do like school shopping for their kids, because they know we have everything.”
Between their big tent and their unrecognizable orange signs, it is impossible for some to pass by.
“We’ve always had that background of being like ‘oh, the orange signs are up…. [the Glaze family] is having a rummage."
The three of them plan to continue this long-lived family tradition for as many more years as they can.
Contact Lilly Tavarez with comments at lilly.tavarez@bsu.edu.
