Mud Sales - A Unique Lancaster Experience
Have you ever heard of a mud sale? The term "mud sale" refers to the annual auctions held by volunteer fire companies throughout Lancaster County to raise funds for needed equipment and supplies. They're called mud sales because most of them take place in late winter and early spring before the spring planting, a time when Lancaster's thawing farmland can get pretty muddy.
You might also hear them called Amish mud sales. That's because the items for sale include Amish goods like handmade quilts, buggies and farm equipment, and the sales themselves draw thousands of Amish customers, often outnumbering non-Amish customers. But you don't have to be Amish to bid on the bargains.
Around since the 1960s, there's a mud sale taking place somewhere in Lancaster County almost every weekend from late-February through mid-April, although some do take place during the summer and fall as well. Check out the schedule of 2022 mud sales here.
What can you expect at a mud sale? First, get there early. Most mud sales start at 8 a.m. on Saturdays, and with turnouts numbering in the thousands, you need to beat the crowds to get a place to park. The sale itself, typically held at the benefiting fire station, might seem like organized chaos to a first-timer, as multiple auctions will be happening at the same time. You can walk the grounds, both inside and out, to view the merchandise that's available for sale. Items for sale will vary from auction to auction, but generally include Amish-made furniture, craft items, quilts, building materials, livestock, buggies and carriages, tools, farming supplies and equipment, garden items, and much more.
The mud sales in Lancaster take on almost a community fair atmosphere. And where there's a fair, there's food – so much home-cooked food! Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soup is a staple at mud sales. For those with a sweet tooth, you'll find shoo-fly pie, sticky buns and funnel cakes. Trust us, there's no shortage of farm fare to keep you fueled at a mud sale, whether you're just browsing or negotiating a great deal.
