[UPDATED: COVID-19] Amish Mud Sales – Lancaster County 2020 Schedule
Wondering when the mud sales are happening this year in Lancaster County? Not sure what a mud sale is? Read on for the full schedule and more.
LAST UPDATED: March 25, 2020 with Coronavirus/COVID-19 Cancellations & Postponements
When are the mud sales in Lancaster County? (Jump to full 2020 Mud Sale Schedule)
The annual mud sales take place starting next month, with the bulk occurring in late winter and spring (February through June). Several are held in the summer, and one or two in the autumn.
The slate opens with the Strasburg Fire Company Sale (Feb. 29), traditionally the first of the season.
This year March 21 stands out as a day with three mud sales happening simultaneously in different locations – at the Penryn, Airville, and West Earl Fire Companies.
The year’s final mud sale takes place at Cochranville Volunteer Fire Company on October 24th.
How many mud sales are there?
There are a total of 23 mud sale events to be held in 2020.
All of the mud sales on this schedule are held within Lancaster County, with the exception of the Airville Fire Company Sale which is held in York County. The Gordonville Fire Company holds two sales, a spring and an autumn event.
Some of the sale occur on back-to-back days (often Friday & Saturday) with different categories of items being auctioned each day.
What exactly are “mud sales”?
Mud sales are consignment auctions organized by volunteer fire companies in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania area. The region has a tradition of volunteer fire departments, many of which have significant Amish and Mennonite membership.
The annual sales are a way for the fire companies to generate funds to finance their yearly budget. The sales typically fund about 1/3 of the fire companies’ needs. Note: this list also includes the Gap Relief Auction, whose proceeds go to benefit Mennonite Central Committee.
The name “mud sale” comes from the typically muddy springtime thaw condition of the fields where the sales are held. That means you might want to choose appropriate footwear if you go.
The first mud sales took place in the mid-1960s, giving the annual gatherings more than half a century of tradition. Mud sales are open to the public, so feel free to attend one of these popular events.
In addition to the auctions of items including quilts, crafts, tools, farm equipment, funiture, tack, antiques, and more, you can expect to find food and beverages for sale. Amish youth and children often play games of volleyball, football, and even corner ball.
Consigning items at a mud sale: For more information on how to consign items for sale at one of these events, see the individual fire companies’ websites (listed below).
2020 Mud Sale Schedule – Lancaster County, PA
The following is a list of the mud sale events scheduled for the Lancaster County area for 2020.
February 28-29, 2020
Strasburg Spring Consignment & Mud Sale
Strasburg Fire Company
203 Franklin Street, Strasburg, PA 17572
717-687-7232
strasburgfire.com
March 6-7, 2020
Bart Township Auction & Mud Sale
Bart Township Fire Company
11 Furnace Road, Quarryville, PA 17566
717-786-3348
bart51.com
March 13-14, 2020
Gordonville Spring Mud Sale & Auction
Gordonville Fire Company
Old Leacock Road, Gordonville, PA 17566
717-768-3869
43fireems.com
March 20-21, 2020 [CANCELED due to COVID-19/Coronavirus]
Penryn Volunteer Fire Company Sale
Penryn Volunteer Fire Company
1441 North Penryn Road, Manheim, PA 17545
717-664-2825
penrynfire.com
March 21, 2020 [POSTPONED due to COVID-19/Coronavirus]
Airville Volunteer Fire Company Mud Sale
Airville Volunteer Fire Company
3576 Delta Road, Airville, PA 17602
717-862-3806
avfc55.com
March 21, 2020 [POSTPONED due to COVID-19/Coronavirus]
West Earl Fire Company Quilt & Consignment Auction
West Earl Fire Company
14 School Lane Avenue, Brownstown, PA 17508
717-989-5986
westearlfire.org
March 27, 2020 [POSTPONED until further notice due to COVID-19]
Farmersville Mud Sale
Farmersville Volunteer Fire Company
74 East Farmersville Road, Ephrata, PA 17522
717-354-5094
farmersvillefire.com
March 27-28, 2020 [POSTPONED due to COVID-19 – NEW DATE: JUNE 5-6]
Gap Fire Company Mud Sale & Auction
Gap Fire Company
802 Pequea Avenue, Gap, PA 17527
610-593-2480
gapfire.org
April 4, 2020 [CANCELED due to COVID-19/Coronavirus]
Robert Fulton Sale
Robert Fulton Volunteer Fire Company
2271 Robert Fulton Highway (Routes 272 & 222), Peach Bottom, PA 17563
717-548-8995
rffc89.com
April 17-18, 2020
Rawlinsville Mud Sale
Rawlinsville Volunteer Fire Company
33 Martic Heights Drive, Holtwood, PA 17532
717-284-3023
rvfd58.com
April 18, 2020
Schoeneck Mud Sale and Quilt Auction
Schoeneck Fire Company
125 N. King Street, Denver, PA 17517
717-336-6767
schoeneckfire.com
April 27, 2019
Christiana Community Ambulance Association Auction
Christiana Community Ambulance Association
55 Pine Creek Drive, Gap, PA 17527
610-593-8166
ccaa52.com
May 4, 2020
Fivepointville Auction
Fivepointville Fire Company
1087 Dry Tavern Road, Denver, PA 17517
717-445-4933
fivepointvillefire.net
May 9, 2020
Honey Brook Quilt Sale & Consignment Auction
Honey Brook Fire Company
Romano 4H Center, 1841 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, PA 19344
610-273-2688
honeybrookfire.org
May 16-17, 2020
Weaverland Valley Mud Sale
Weaverland Valley Fire Company
Terre Hill Community Park, 210 Lancaster Avenue, Terre Hill, PA 17528
717-445-7066
weaverlandvalleyfire.com
June 7-8, 2020
Kinzer Fire Company Mud Sale
Kinzer Volunteer Fire Company
3521 Lincoln Highway East (Route 30), Kinzer, PA
717-442-4121
kinzerfire.com
June 25-26, 2020
Lancaster County Carriage & Antique Auction
Bird-in-Hand Volunteer Fire Company (Hand-in-Hand Fire Company)
313 Enterprise Drive, Bird in Hand, PA 17505
717-392-0112
birdinhandauction.com
June 26-27, 2020
Refton Fire Company Mud Sale
Refton Volunteer Fire Company
99 Church Street, Refton, PA 17568
717-786-9462
refton59fire.com
August 7-8, 2020
Gap Relief Auction
Solanco Fairgrounds
172 South Lime Street, Quarryville, PA 17566
717-687-9470
reliefsales.mcc.org/sales/gap-relief-auction
August 15, 2020
Intercourse Fire Company Consignment Auction
Intercourse Fire Company
10 North Hollander Road, Intercourse, PA 17534
717-768-3402
intercoursefire.com
August 22, 2020
Bareville Fire Company Consignment Auction
Bareville Volunteer Fire Company
211 East Main Street, Leola, PA 17540
717-656-7554
barevillefire.com
September 2020
Gordonville Fall Mud Sale & Auction
Gordonville Fire Company
Old Leacock Road, Gordonville, PA 17566
717-768-3869
43fireems.com
October 24, 2020
Cochranville Fire Company Mud Sale
Cochranville Volunteer Fire Company
3135 Limestone Road Cochranville, PA
610-593-5800
cochranvillefire.com
List based on information from lancasterpa.com and discoverlancaster.com.
We’ve made efforts to cross-check sources and clarify discrepancies between these two sources, but be sure to confirm dates and sale schedule before making plans.
Image credits above: Aerial view – Airville Volunteer Fire Company; auctioneer – Bob Devonshire; Amish girls – Airville Volunteer Fire Company; Quilt auction – Rick; Amish crowd – Lauren Futch
Mud Sales – Past Years
Our readers have attended past mud sales and shared photos and accounts over the years. Below you’ll find photos and descriptions of past sales from readers and media sources, if you’d like to know more about what they’re like (photo credits at the links):
Strasburg (2018)
Bart Township (2016)
Gratz – Dauphin County (2015)
Airville (2014)
Bart Township (2014)
Gordonville (2013)
Rawlinsville & Bart Township (2008)
You’ll find our posts including mud sale schedules from previous years here:
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
If you attend a mud sale this year, I hope you’ll let us know how you liked it.
Mud=spring
Mud sales are a sure sign of spring, whatever the condition of the local “earth” may be! It’s like hope springing eternal!
I wonder why we don’t hear of mud sales anywhere else but PA? I have a cousin who used to be a volunteer firefighter up in Northern Wisconsin (a stone’s throw from MN – she also made and sold soaps and later worked in local govt. ), and I know there have to be hundreds (if not thousands) of other volunteer fire depts throughout rural America. Does the fire company HAVE to be in an Amish area? Just wondering how it all came to be. Sure wish I could attend one!
Thanks, Erik. You beat the groundhog with this mud sale list! 😉
Alice Mary
A great question, Alice Mary. I suspect it is due to the Amish involvement, the high number of fire companies in this fairly densely-populated rural region, and the hook of “mud” in the catchy name for these sales. I’d imagine that other places could do sales like these, and probably do…though the Amish also have the auctioneering tradition going for them as well here. I hadn’t thought about this before, but that’s my two cents 🙂
I usually try to get this list up each year by early-mid-January, to make sure I beat that groundhog 😀
Auctioneer
would like to know which mud sales are stiil.no for this year. So I can llane which ones to be working at. Have helped in years passed. Wi help again. If I know which ones are still on. Thank you