by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
For the third year in a row, the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council, Inc. will hold its biannual Main Street Sidewalk Sale Saturday in an effort to raise funds for the non-profit organization.
The community event will take place on a two block stretch of the west side of Main between 5th and 7th streets and will feature a wide range of vendors.
“We’re only charging a small amount (for vendors) to attend, so this isn’t a huge money-maker as of right now,” said event coordinator Bud Glasner, who is also a SPAR member. “But we’re hoping as this thing grows and gets bigger and bigger, it will generate more funds.”
The event is free and open to the public.
“This is more of a way to get people down into Springfield and get them accustomed to what Springfield is really like and what we’re all about,” said Glasner.
“It’s a great place to live and it’s a wonderful community and when you have events like this, it brings people out and then they realize, ‘gee, it’s not that bad down here’.”
The sidewalk sale usually takes place in April and then again in November.
Glasner said all proceeds go directly back into SPAR to fund various programs; last year’s sale brought out nearly 200 people.
Groups like the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Springfield-based nonprofit Mommies will have booths. Other upcoming SPAR events include The Springfield Tour of Homes in May and Heritage Days: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – an updated version of the annual Historic Springfield tour of homes. This year’s event includes the 29th annual tour of historic and reproduction Craftsman-style homes, a community parade, family-oriented activities throughout the Historic District, lectures, ‘characters from the past’, musical entertainment, Heritage exhibits and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Pops in the Park. For more information on these events, call 353-SPAR.