Grafton Firefighters raffle to replace annual Fall Festival Tag Sale

Like many other fall events this year, the popular Grafton Firefighters Fall Festival Tag Sale has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This would have been the 40th year for the Tag Sale.

However, to keep the tradition alive the Grafton Fire/Rescue Auxiliary has created a new event. A raffle will be held on Saturday, Oct. 10, which is the date originally planned for the Tag Sale.

In addition to the raffle, a by-donation to-go hot dog lunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. as well as a coin drop and a last chance to buy raffle tickets before the drawing at 3 p.m. This scaled down Fall Festival will take place at the Firehouse, 711 Route 121 just East of Grafton Village. Winners need not be present and the now familiar Covid safety precautions will be observed to keep everyone safe.

The cancellation of the Tag Sale this year will be felt by locals and visitors alike but also by the firefighters who will experience a 20 percent loss to their budget as a consequence. While the raffle won’t yield the excitement of hundreds of shoppers scouring through the wide array of goods found at the Tag Sale, it will help to keep alive the spirit of the event and make a contribution to overcoming the budget loss.

Items being raffled off feature:

• a complete Husqvarna 525LK package valued at $2,500 with weedwacker, leaf blower, power paddle, power broom, pruner, brush cutter and rototiller. Even a shirt, hat and fuel are included.
• two one-night B&B stays at the well known Grafton Inn,
• a Vermont Country Store gift basket,
• a fresh baked cookie each day for 60 days from the MKT Grafton Village Store,
• a gift basket from the Grafton Village Cheese Company, and
• a gift basket of colonial reproduction toys made by the Cooperman Fife and Drum Co.

Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and are available at the Grafton Garage, MKT Village Store, from Grafton Firefighters, from Amber at 802-376-5646, and from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Grafton Firehouse.