It started with a disappointed seven-year-old and a slow Saturday. Valentin Guerin’s son wanted to sell lemonade. He set up his table. Almost nobody came. In a town like Montclair, Guerin realized, you can have a great block and still struggle to pull foot traffic unless everyone is doing it at once.
On Sunday, May 24, that problem gets a possible solution (weather pending). The Montclair Yard Sale brings together sellers from across town onto a single interactive map, turning a scattered weekend tradition into a coordinated neighborhood event. It runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., costs nothing to join and was organized entirely by residents with no commercial stake in it.
Why One Montclair Resident Organized a Town-Wide Yard Sale
Guerin grew up in France, where his mother took him to brocante, the French equivalent of a yard sale, nearly every weekend as a kid. Towns would close streets, residents would pay a few dollars for a sidewalk space and the whole neighborhood would turn out. “As a kid, she would take us every weekend to a yard sale, either to shop or sometimes to sell,” Guerin told Montclair Pod hosts Farnoosh Torabi and Mike Schreiber. “The deal was if we’re selling our toys, we’d keep the money and buy new stuff.”
When his own son caught the same bug, Guerin started thinking about how to recreate what he remembered. A map of participating households, published before the event, would give shoppers a reason to go out and a route to follow.
He reached out to Jeremy Pholwatanna, who runs Downtown Montclair and organizes Porchfest. Folwatany offered design help, logistics advice and space on the Downtown Montclair app. “I have always been amazed at the idea of a Porchfest,” Guerin said. “I was like, hey, that could be kind of the Porchfest of the yard sale.”
The event is the first of its kind organized by Guerin, though it’s not the first time Montclair has gone town-wide. Resident and realtor Penny Patnaude has run a town-wide garage sale since 2023 to benefit the Human Needs Food Pantry. The two events emerged independently, and the overlap caused some confusion this spring. Patnaude, who spoke with The Montclair Pod this week, said her fall edition won’t go forward this year. She hasn’t ruled out a collaboration down the road. “Why not make it a huge one?” she said. “There’s no reason why people can’t come together.”
How the Montclair Yard Sale Works This Sunday
Sellers register through a Google form. A few days before the event, Guerin publishes an interactive map with every participating address.
As of The Montclair Pod recording on May 11, more than 70 households had signed up, with more expected as neighbors invited neighbors to share front yards and driveways. Guerin himself is splitting his small front yard with a friend.
Lemonade, Freebies and What He Hopes Comes Next
The sustainability angle runs through the whole event. Guerin’s son will be set up on Sunday with a twist: buy a cup of lemonade and pick a free item from a box of giveaways. “At the end of the day, the goal is not to buy more stuff, it’s to get rid of stuff”, Guerin says.
He has been thinking bigger. His longer vision is for the township itself to take over, close some streets and waive the permit fees the way French towns have done for decades. “I’d love to see our township step up and organize it one day,” he said. For now, the event remains a grassroots effort led by neighbors, families, and one kid especially excited to run a lemonade stand.
How to Join the Montclair Yard Sale on May 24
To sell: Register at the Google form to be added to the map. Apply for a yard sale permit through the Township Clerk before Sunday at montclairnjusa.org. Tell your neighbors and invite them to share your space if they don’t have a front yard of their own.
To shop: Follow the event on Instagram at @montclairyardsale or on Facebook to access the map when it publishes. Suggested hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though individual sellers set their own times.
Donations: No registration fee. Organizers encourage a donation to a local charity of your choice.
One thing to keep in mind: the forecast for Sunday is uncertain. Guerin said he will email all registered participants on Friday with an update and, if needed, put the question of a rain date to the group.
