The Sidewalk Sale returns to Red Bank this weekend for its 62nd annual edition.
Regular readers of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn feature can vouch that things often move at a brisk clip in the business district of a town that the New York Times recently touted for its “urban vibe.”
But one thing that’s remained a model of consistency amid the churn is the Red Bank Sidewalk Sale, the 62nd annual edition of which returns Friday and runs through Sunday.
Presented once again by Red Bank Rivercenter and hosted at locations on Broad, Front, White and Monmouth streets (in addition to a bit of Bridge Avenue), the three-day thriftarama remains a welcome local attraction in the lazy-hazy dog days of summer.
With more than 60 retail, service and entertainment businesses slated to take part, it’s a great opportunity for real-world shoppers to root out a coveted bargain in a box, a folding-table find, or even a street-rack “steal” — all while scouting out the borough’s fast-growing landscape of restaurants and eateries. And did we mention free parking for the duration of the three-day promotion?
The participating merchants include some of the borough’s most venerable veterans (Hobbymasters, Mustillo’s, Queen Vacuum, Earth Spirit, Seldin’s Trinkets and Sweetest Sin), as well as newcomers like West Elm, Urban Outfitters, Lacrosse Unlimited, The Charleston Shops, The Bee, Carbone’s Clothing Co, Sorella Bella Boutique, the Shops at the Galleria, Pickett & White, Wish 28, and Red Bank Family Pharmacy.
It’s a strolling/rolling smorgasbord that spans geographically from Garmany to the Galleria — and a display of wares that encompasses business attire, casual wear, lingerie, jewelry, shoes, gift items, housewares, pet supplies, toys, books, specialty food and beverages, as well as discounted services of all types.
The whole thing comes with a soundtrack, too, as the sidewalk/ storefront entertainers of Red Bank StreetLife will present an expanded schedule of plein-air performances — beginning with the Wag (Friday 6 to 8 p.m.), a band that simply lives to do its positively charged power-pop thing in the great outdoors.
Then on Saturday and Sunday, the hours between noon and 3 p.m. bring more music (from the flavorful mix of Peas & Carrots, to the experimental guitar soundscapes of Phred Morris), and even some pavement-top prestidigitation, courtesy of Ross the Magic Man.
Official Sidewalk Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 29 and 30, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 31. Take it here for details (including an updated list of participating Sidewalk Sale merchants, and a schedule of StreetLife attractions) for the 62nd Red Bank Sidewalk Sales — and here for Saturday night’s schedule of StreetLife performances within the regular hours of 6 to 9 p.m.
