78th annual Orono-Old Town Kiwanis fundraiser features new wrinkle

ORONO, Maine (WABI) - Now in its 78th year, a much-anticipated event returns to Orono this weekend.

“It’s a community extravaganza event!” said Brenda Stevenson, president, Kiwanis Club of Orono-Old Town.

The Kiwanis Club of Orono-Old Town’s annual auction and yard sale is back on this Friday and Saturday.

Club members are volunteering their time this week to make sure the auction grounds are ready to welcome crowds.

There are five barns filled with hidden treasures -- from toys and books to holiday decor and sporting goods.

The auction lineup features four suite tickets to the Bonnie Raitt concert on the Bangor Waterfront, a one-year family membership to the Old Town-Orono YMCA, and more.

And even though this is the 78th year of the event, organizers are finding new ways to keep it fresh.

On Saturday they’ll invite kids to take part in a special auction of their own.

“Since Kiwanis is all about kids, it occurred to some of our members that we should try to engage kids in the auction. So, we have put together an event that will take place on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. for kids only. It’s a free auction for kids to partake in,” Stevenson explained. “It’s geared for youth ages three to 10. You sign up and register. We’re going to give you some free tokens to spend. And then you’ll be treated to an entertaining auction event. Every child will leave with something that they could purchase with the tokens that we provide. We’re really excited to see how it goes this year.”

The schedule is the same for both days, with the yard sale opening at 3:30 p.m. and the live auction getting underway at 5:30 p.m.

The Kiwanis Auction Grounds are located at 168 Forest Ave in Orono.

And because you can’t shop on an empty stomach, the snack bar will be in full swing offering everything from hot dogs and popcorn to the beloved strawberry and blueberry shortcakes.