Buyer’s guides for the upcoming Community-wide Garage Sale Weekend to be held May 16-17 in Dowagiac and at Sister Lakes are now available to the public.

Hosted by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce and the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority (DDA) the shopping blitz, which is now in its sixth year, features more than 56 residential garage sales in Dowagiac, and at Sister Lakes and Indian Lake.

Buyer’s guides, priced at $1 each and can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce, located in the historic Dowagiac train depot and at distribution sites downtown including Dowagiac Vacuum Center, Front Street Crossing, The Hairitage, Mud-Luscious, RUsT, Shabby Bou-Chic, Tipsy Gypsy and Vincent J. Jewelers.

Vickie Phillipson, program director for the Chamber of Commerce & DDA, said the guides are being sold for a nominal $1 fee to help the organization cover expenses related to the promotion.

New this year, the event includes out-of-town vendors who will be setting up their wares for sale at the American Legion Post on North Orchard Street.  American Legion members will have merchandise for sale within the post, with vendors from Kalamazoo and other communities surrounding Dowagiac renting booth space in its parking lot.

The Buyer’s Guide provides patrons with information on central business district specialty shops and restaurants that are participating in the promotion with indoor and outdoor Sidewalk Sales, as well as detailed information on the type of merchandise each residential sale will feature.  For those sales that are being held at Sister Lakes and Indian Lake, the guide also provides driving instructions to those locations.

Phillipson said should patrons and day-visitors wish to navigate by a map, the Buyer’s Guide also contains a street map that identifies the locations of each sale.