In Our Community - The Gordonville Mud Sale

To the right, to the left, for as far as the eye could see, there was people. And from every corner, you were greeted with the sounds of auctioneers selling goods, children playing, horses neighing, sirens; these were only a few of the sounds you heard. Andrea, one of sales associates, has attended numerous benefit auctions in the past, but none compared to the mud sale.  No parking was available near the sale, so most people parked off-site and were shuttled on into the auction in school buses. As you walked towards the fire department, you met little Amish boys with their express wagons. These little boys were pulling sold items to vehicles for the auction goers. The variety of items found on the auction blocks was endless - antiques, reclaimed barn-wood items, farm equipment, sheds, quilts, household goods.

Many smells also greeted your nose - BBQ chicken, frying hamburgers, coffee, hot cider, french fries, soft pretzels. Auction goers could be found with coffee in one hand and french fries in another. There was also homemade donuts and hot cider to warm you up on the cool spring morning. Many little stands were set up, selling local Amish delicacies. Apple cider, canned goods such as chow-chow, pickles, jellies and jams, cheeses, smoked meats, homemade brooms. Most importantly the proceeds from this auction are to benefit the Gordonville Fire department, a fire department that is 100% volunteer. Many of the volunteers at Gordonville are from the Amish community. This sale is an example of how a community can work together to support one another.

After spending an hour at the auction and having acquired some auction goodies, it was time to head back to the bus pickup location. Due to the amount of people arriving for the auction, the wait time for the bus was longer. While waiting, one could take in the auction as people came and went. We highly recommend experiencing the Lancaster County culture that is found at a mud sale. It is wonderful to see how the community pulls together for the good of one another. The upcoming mud sales can be found here.