Junk Jubilee in Jamestown on June 30

The folks in Stutsman County familiar with the art of “junking” will no longer have to travel far to rummage through such repurposed items as the inaugural Junk Jubilee is coming to Jamestown.

Junking refers to retrieving things and materials that have ordinarily been discarded as trash and recycling them for one’s own use or selling them off for profit. It’s like the old saying goes, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 30 in and around the Russ Miller Building at the Stutsman County Fairgrounds, individuals are encouraged to come out and shop for the best and brightest materials that more than 30 vendors and a group called the Junkin’ Cuzins have to offer.

“There will be direct sales available like Avon, Scentsy and Ornagold Coffee. Plus everything from baked goods to baseball cards and a lot of quality junk and flea market items,” said Debbie Clemens, one of six members of the Junkin’ Cuzins group.

The group is a collection of longtime friends who came together in February to coordinate putting the Junk Jubilee together.

“We each have our own role within the committee — advertising, communications and so forth — and nobody is doing the same thing,” said Lorene Ahlers Iverson, fellow Junkin Cuzins member.

Clemens said the idea for this type of event has been there for several years, with members of the group having enjoyed the annual Carrington (N.D.) Junkfest.

“Everybody’s really excited and been supportive of bringing this to Jamestown,” said Joan Taxis, another Junkin’ Cuzins member who specializes in estate and rummage sales in her own time.

Members of the Junkin’ Cuzins said this is a labor of love for them, as the art of junking is something each of them has enjoyed for many years.

“Junking is in your blood,” Clemens said. “It’s about finding pieces that you know can be something else and turning them into a real treasure.”

A general enjoyment for garage and rummage sales is what drew Taxis into the event.

“When these ladies called and asked me to do this, I couldn’t have been more excited,” she said. “It’s really amazing what a person can do with a couple of old pieces by just spending some time brainstorming and finding out how you can put them together into something new.”

As for the event itself, Clemens said vendors from as far west as Mandan, N.D., and as far east as Fargo will be at the Jubilee, with items of all shapes, colors and sizes to shop from.

“When you go to a flea market or a sale and you purchase these kinds of items, it just proves that you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money to decorate,” Clemens said.

Vendor booths will also include raw items that the Cuzins said would be great for people to repurpose to their own liking in the future.

There will be a variety of food and beverage vendors available at the Jubilee.

There is no admission charge for the event. Vendor booths will be set up both inside and outside, and it is a rain or shine event.

There are still outside booths available for $25 each.

For more information about the event, including any questions, contact either Debbie Clemens at 701-763-6516 or dbclemens@daktel.com or Lorene Ahlers Iverson at 701-658-0087 or loreneiver son@csicable.net.

Those interested can also visit Facebook and search “Junk Jubilee Jamestown.”

Sun reporter Brian Willhide can be reached at 701-952-8454 or by email at bwillhide@jamestownsun.com

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