Martinsburg resident Bill Grinnan looks through the cooking utensils in the Spring Fling yard sale at New Street United Methodist Church on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — A stream of eager shoppers braved Saturday’s rainy weather, unwilling to miss the Spring Fling fundraiser at New Street United Methodist Church.

The biennial fundraiser, which was last held in 2023, featured a yard sale, baked good sale and lunch sale, according to organizer Margaret Rose Peterson. While the event has previously been held on the church lawn, the weather forecast forced her to make the decision to set up everything indoors.

“It would have been nice to have a lot of these things outside, but the weather didn’t turn out. You have to do what you have to do,” Peterson said, noting having items set up outside usually helps to draw in passersby. “Still, we’ve had a steady crowd.”

With many of the items intended for outdoor display being kept indoors instead, Peterson pointed out that they ended up filling every major room in the church building. The church library was used to display furniture. The pews in the sanctuary served as display racks for art, books, movies and albums. The hallway featured outdoor items, like a vintage seed dolly and skull-shaped smoke machine. The fellowship hall housed carefully curated displays of home goods items, such as board games, holiday decor, vintage jewelry and dishware. The outside porch featured a number of potted plants, as well as a couple of dog kennels. The lobby was used to display the baked sale items. The basement featured athletic items and outdoor tools. The kitchen served as the hub for lunch items, which included: old-fashioned baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, steamer sandwiches, country ham sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, hot dogs, coconut custard pie, chocolate pie and lemon pie.

To accomplish this immense amount of work, Peterson said all of the church’s members pitched in to help.

New Street United Methodist Church member Carol Goldthorpe, left, chats with shoppers at the Spring Fling on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

“We work hard to keep up this facility. It matters so much to us — especially those of us whose roots are here,” Peterson said, mentioning she grew up in the church.

The proceeds raised with the fundraiser will be used, according to Peterson, to renovate the church basement, which needs a new ceiling, drapes and curtains.

“It’s a way to raise money, but it’s also a way to open the church up to the community. That’s the most important thing,” Peterson said. “We need money obviously, just for maintenance, but the best thing about this is that it brings the community in here.”

Two of those community members to step through the church doors for the Spring Fling were Bill and Pat Grinnan, of Martinsburg. The couple has developed the habit, Bill said, of coming to the church whenever an event involving food is taking place.

“We had a great lunch here today. I had a steamer with a hotdog and she had the chicken salad sandwich. And I’m taking home a slice of coconut custard pie with me,” Bill said. “We also made some great finds here, today. We got some picture frames and place mats and an insulated cup.”

The remaining items from the Spring Fling have been collected together in the church fellowship hall and will remain there through the end of June. Anyone interested in viewing the items on sale is encouraged to reach out to the church at 304-876-2362.