Registration is now open for the sixth annual Community-Wide Garage Sale Weekend, which will take place  from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 16 and May 1.

Residents who register by April 15 will have their address placed in the event’s buyer’s guide, with their location marked on a map and short description of the items up for sale. In addition, early registrants will benefit from advertisements that will run in 11 publications.

An $8 registration fee is required for entry. In addition, residents can begin selling on Thursday, May 15, which will be noted in advertisements.

Last year, the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Development Authority printed and distributed 800 buyer’s guides. These guides will be sold this year for $1 from participating merchants. Registrants will be able to pick up four guides, which can be sold to earn back part of the registration fee.

Money collected from registration fees and sales of buyer’s guides will be used for purchasing advertising for the event. The organizers will also place a banner in downtown’s Beckwith Park to advertise for the weekend three weeks before it takes place.

According to organizers, the two-day event is designed to provide income to families on a tight budget, attract bargain hunters from neighboring communities and to bolster traffic to local businesses and restaurants.

Registration forms are available from the Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce office, located at the train depot on Depot Drive. For more information, contact the chamber at 269-782-8212.