Mud sales are a peek inside Pennsylvania Dutch culture—and a great way to score goods like Amish-made furniture, quilts, and farm and garden supplies.
Mud sales are a Pennsylvania Dutch Country tradition hosted by Amish and Mennonite communities in Lancaster County and surrounding areas. These annual auctions raise funds for local volunteer fire departments by selling quality goods such as handmade furniture, quilts, and farm equipment. Traditionally held in late winter and early spring, when thawing ground turns to mud—hence the name “mud sale”—many auctions now take place throughout the year, attracting thousands of people eager to grab deals and support their communities.
Here’s all you need to know about the Lancaster area’s famous mud sales, and how you can take part. After all, while mud sales have their roots in Amish and Mennonite communities, they are open to the public and are attended by both locals and visitors.
How mud sales started
Pennsylvania has one of the largest volunteer firefighter forces in the country, with roughly 97 percent of its 1,771 registered fire departments made up entirely or mostly of volunteers. And these volunteer fire departments, which protect many rural communities like those in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, rely on fundraisers to ensure that they can purchase the life-saving equipment fire stations need.
Like fish fry fundraisers in other parts of the state, communities in Pennsylvania Dutch Country launched the mud sale as a key fundraiser for volunteer fire departments.
The first mud sale was held around 1965, around the same time as more modern firefighting equipment became available; during the 1960s, firefighters began adopting new technologies, like improved fire trucks with better water pumps and accessible rescue tools. But these innovations, of course, came with price tags.
So, mud sales raised funds for these community institutions that protected Amish and Mennonite families. And over the years, more “plain folk” are becoming volunteer firefighters themselves (though Amish men refrain from driving fire trucks, letting Mennonite or “English” volunteers take on that task).
The goods up for auction
Mud sales auction off a vast number and wide variety of items. You can find handmade quilts, crafts, home goods, farm machinery, building materials, garden supplies, well-crafted wooden furniture, and even buggies.
Some smaller items, including food, don’t require bidding to purchase. But otherwise, items at the mud sale are sold via a handful of simultaneous auctions.
The hearty fare beyond the wares
You don’t want to visit a mud sale without sampling the Pennsylvania Dutch food that’s a key part of any of these community auctions. The events usually feature a large menu of regional favorites, including fresh-baked goods (soft pretzels, whoopie pies, and the like), chicken corn soup, barbecue chicken, shoofly pie, chow chow, and much more, meant to be eaten at the sale or taken home to enjoy later.
Mud sales planned in 2026
Here are the Pennsylvania Dutch Country mud sales—which may have various names like “fire company sale” or “consignment auction”—that you can visit in 2026, compiled with the assistance of the mud sale calendar at DiscoverLancaster.com. While most mud sales take place in the spring, the auctions continue through the summer and into the fall.
Strasburg Spring Donation & Consignment Sale—Strasburg
Dates: Feb. 27 and 28
Indoor and outdoor furniture, antiques, crafts, sporting goods, farm equipment, and even sheds are for sale at the Strasburg Fire Company’s annual Spring Donation & Consignment Sale. The sale takes place the afternoon and evening of Friday, Feb. 27, and begins again the morning of Saturday, Feb. 28.
Bart Sale—Quarryville
Dates: Mar. 6 and 7
The 61st Annual Bart Sale, benefiting the Bart Township Fire Company, features sporting goods and crafts on the evening of Friday, Mar. 6, with the main auction on Saturday, Mar. 7. The Saturday event features a breakfast buffet, in addition to the homemade foods cooked and baked by community members. The fire company will also host a building material and shrubbery sale, as well as a book auction, on Mar. 21.
Gordonville Spring Mud Sale & Auction—Gordonville
Dates: Mar. 13 and 14
The Gordonville Spring Mud Sale & Auction is the larger of two annual mud sales supporting the Pequea Valley Fire Department in Gordonville. The event is one of the biggest mud sales in Lancaster County. For an idea of how large the auction is: This year, the auction will feature more than 500 quilts alone.
Penryn Volunteer Fire Company Sale—Manheim
Date: Mar. 21
The Penryn Volunteer Fire Company Sale benefits the fire company as well as the local Amish school, Limerock Parochial School. Items for auction will include crafts, quilts, tools, shrubs, grocery items, produce, and antiques and collectibles. You can also enjoy hearty food for sale all day.
Airville Volunteer Fire Company Sale—Airville
Date: Mar. 21
The Airville Volunteer Fire Company Sale is actually in York County—the only one across the Lancaster County border into York. At least 10 auctioneers at a time will sell a smorgasbord of items from crafts to machinery and antiques to plants. In addition to a wide selection of homemade food available all day, donuts and soft pretzels will be made fresh on site.
West Earl Fire Company Quilt & Consignment Auction—Brownstown
Date: Mar. 21
The West Earl Fire Company Quilt & Consignment Auction is held annually on the third Saturday in March. The wider auction starts bright and early at 8 am, while the quilt auction begins at 11 am.
Gap Fire Company Mud Sale & Auction—Gap
Dates: Mar. 20 and 21
The Gap Fire Company Mud Sale & Auction hosts its 50th installment in 2026 at the Lancaster County Showcase on the evening of Friday, Mar. 20, and all day Saturday, Mar. 21. Items for auction include sporting goods, crafts, shrubs, handmade furniture, wood and iron crafts, wall hangings, and more.
Farmersville Mud Sale—Ephrata
Date: Mar. 27
The Farmersville Mud Sale takes place at the Farmersville Fire Company station on the evening of Friday, Mar. 27. Cash or check is accepted, and food will be prepared and served by the Farmersville Ladies Auxiliary.
Robert Fulton Spring Auction—Peach Bottom
Date: Apr. 4
The Robert Fulton Spring Auction, benefiting the Robert Fulton Fire Company, will sell quilts, crafts, furniture, farm and garden equipment, building materials, sheds, and carriages among other items. Homemade food, including donuts, breakfast sandwiches, barbecue chicken, baked goods, and more, will also be available for purchase.
Rawlinsville Mud Sale—Holtwood
Dates: Apr. 10 and 11
The Rawlinsville Mud Sale supports the Rawlinsville Volunteer Fire Company. The evening of Friday, Apr. 10, features crafts, shrubs, flowers, and tools, while the Saturday, Apr. 11, auctions will sell crafts, quilts, flowers, garden equipment, building materials, new and used tools, and sporting goods. Grocery items, plus homemade food, will also be available.
Schoeneck Fire Company Mud Sale—Denver
Date: Apr. 18
The Schoeneck Fire Company Mud Sale is a spring mud sale and quilt auction hosted by the fire company. The mud sale has an 8:30 am start, while the quilt auction begins at 11 am.
Fivepointville Auction—Denver
Date: May 2 and 3
Each year, the Fivepointville Benefit Auction supports the Fivepointville Fire Company with the sale of flowers, shrubs, antiques, lawn and garden equipment, electric bikes and scooters, crafts, furniture, quilts, groceries, and homemade food. The fire company will post available items on its website closer to the auction. The grocery sale takes place on the evening of Friday, May 2, while the consignment auction will be held on Saturday, May 3.
Honey Brook Quilt Sale & Consignment Auction—Honey Brook
Dates: May 8 and 9
The Honey Brook Quilt Sale & Consignment Auction is held each year to benefit the Honey Brook Fire Company, which serves the tri-county area of southeastern Chester County, also assisting parts of Lancaster and Berks Counties.
Weaverland Valley Mud Sale—New Holland
Dates: May 15 and 16
The Weaverland Valley Mud Sale takes place annually on the third Friday and Saturday in May at the Weaverland Produce Auction. The sale benefits the Weaverland Valley Fire Department.
Kinzer Mud Sale—Kinzer
Dates: Jun. 5 and 6
The Kinzer Mud Sale is a fundraiser for the Pequea Valley Fire Department that takes place at the fire company’s Kinzer station, held in addition to the spring and fall sales in Gordonville. The Kinzer sale will feature home goods, quilts, farm and garden equipment, new and used furniture, antiques, homemade food, and much more.
Lancaster County Carriage & Antique Auction—Bird-in-Hand
Dates: Jun. 25 and 26
The Lancaster County Carriage & Antique Auction benefits the Hand-in-Hand Fire Company, the volunteer fire department serving the Bird-in-Hand area. As the name suggests, the two-day auction (taking place on a Thursday and Friday) features carriages and antiques, but it also sells other traditional mud sale goods such as furniture, tools, equipment, crafts, and quilts—plus lots of delicious homemade food.
Refton Fire Company Mud Sale—Refton
Dates: Jun. 26 and 27
The Refton Fire Company Mud Sale features a wide selection of items for auction, with the evening auction on Friday, Jun. 26, selling flowers, shrubs, and woodcrafts, and the Saturday, Jun. 27, auction incorporating everything from plants and hardware to carriages and antiques—plus fresh, homemade donuts and other food.
Gap Relief Auction—Quarryville
Dates: Aug. 7 and 8
The Gap Relief Auction, held at the Solanco Fairgrounds, is slightly different than most mud sales. Rather than a fire company, the auction supports the Mennonite Central Committee, a global relief nonprofit representing Anabaptist churches, including Mennonite and Amish groups. Yet the relief auction—which will celebrate its 78th year in 2026—has the spirit of a traditional mud sale, with household items, furniture, tools, and quilts for auction, as well as homemade and hearty food available for purchase. It will also have children’s activities and a children’s auction of items for kids.
Bareville Fire Company Public Auction—Leola
Date: Aug. 28
The Bareville Fire Company Public Auction will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026. The annual auction sells wagonfuls of items such as farm and garden tools, camping equipment, horse gear, lawn games, household items, and more. The Ladies Auxiliary prepares the food, which includes breakfast specials and barbecue chicken.
Gordonville Fall Mud Sale & Auction—Gordonville
Date: Sept. 19
The Gordonville Fall Mud Sale & Auction, the one-day counterpart to Gordonville’s spring auction, is one of the final mud sales of the year.
Cochranville Fire Company Mud Sale—Cochranville
Date: Oct. 24
The Cochranville Fire Company Auction takes place on the fourth Saturday in October each year to benefit the Cochranville Fire Company in Chester County. The fall auction closes out the mud sale calendar in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
