Community center opens doors for Free Day and Garage Sale

The Estes Valley Community Center will open its doors on May 30 for Free Day and Garage Sale, an event built around the simplest possible pitch: come use the rec center for free, browse a parking lot garage sale, and grab a hot dog while they last.

“We were trying to come up with something fun to appreciate our members,” said Lisa VonBargen, marketing and communications manager for the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District. “Instead of always having an event that was like, ‘Hey, buy a new membership,’ and making it all about us, we wanted to make it free and fun for people to come here.”

Free Day runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. During the community center’s regular operating hours, visitors can use the facility for free, including fitness classes and other normal rec center activities. The pools will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and hot dogs, chips, and drinks will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with one meal per guest. VonBargen explained that the limit exists because of one very enthusiastic repeat visitor at last year’s event.

“That’s because there is a hot dog guy who will eat 10,” VonBargen said. “We had bets last year about how many he would eat.”

The event grew out of the community center’s fifth anniversary celebrations in 2023. Staff liked the format enough to keep it going, but not enough to keep pretending every year was another anniversary.

“We thought it was so much fun; we didn’t want to keep doing anniversary, anniversary, anniversary, so we came up with Free Day,” VonBargen said. “That was a great rebrand because it created a lot of excitement and was a lot of fun.”

This year’s event also brings back the community garage sale, which will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot. VonBargen says the sale was added last year and quickly became one of the day’s biggest draws, with 21 sellers signed up this year and a nine-person waitlist.

“Introducing the garage sale last year was a huge success,” VonBargen said, “and I am excited that it will be even bigger this year.”

Sellers will check in at the front of the community center, and each will be assigned a 9-by-18-foot parking space. Setup begins at 8 a.m., bathrooms will be available at 9 a.m., and teardown must be completed by 4 p.m. Sellers should bring their own tables, chairs, shade, change, and Wi-Fi access for card transactions if they plan to accept them.

“No, we have no idea,” VonBargen said when asked what sellers will bring. “It is a big surprise to everybody who shows up. They’re very self-sufficient; they are not required to disclose what they are bringing. Their payment and everything are very self-contained for them. It doesn’t run through the rec at all, so you’ve got a parking stall and have at it.”

The day will also include a membership promotion for new or expired members, with 25 percent off one-week, one-month, three-month, and six-month memberships. VonBargen says the shorter membership options are designed for people who are in Estes Park temporarily rather than year-round residents.

“The membership special is geared toward our summer guests,” VonBargen said. “We have a membership special in January that’s geared toward locals, because that’s who’s here in January. So we’re trying to attract people that are just passing through, so it could be tourists or even seasonal workers.”

The event is expected to draw about 300 to 400 people. Weather has cooperated in past years, VonBargen says, though staff are prepared to proceed even if the forecast brings afternoon showers.

“We keep rolling,” VonBargen said. “We keep tents outside for the hot dogs. We would just maybe scoot tables under the roof overhang, but we proceed onward.”

For more information or questions about the garage sale, contact Julie at julie@evrpd.com or call the Estes Valley Community Center at 970-480-1331.