Now in its 11th year, the Thornhill Community Yard Sale brings dozens of homes together for one massive neighbourhood shopping day. Sellers set up on their driveways. Vendors set up at the local community centre. Shoppers come from Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, North York, Ajax and all across the GTA following the QR-coded signs and the live Google Map.

It started as a simple idea: instead of one household doing a yard sale alone and getting a handful of neighbours stopping by, why not coordinate the whole street, market it properly and bring in hundreds of shoppers at once? Eleven years later, residents are recognizing the signs before Kirby even reaches their door. The event has become a fixture of Thornhill's spring calendar.

Kirby Chan and his team at Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate Inc. organize and fund the entire event. Signs go out across the neighbourhood. Facebook and Instagram ads drive shoppers in. Flyers go out to thousands of homes. A Google Maps link goes live with every registered seller pinned. None of that costs participating sellers a single dollar.

If you live in the Thornhill area and want to participate as a seller, registration is straightforward. Sign up at the link below, provide your address and Kirby's team handles everything from there. A sign goes on your lawn the night before. Your home gets pinned on the map. Shoppers come to you.

On the day, set up your items on tables on your driveway or lawn, price them however you like and sell. You keep everything you make. There is no commission, no table fee and no cost to participate. Kirby's team covers all the advertising, signs and promotion. If your plans change, just let the team know and you will be removed from the map with no penalty.

Vendors rent a table at the community centre. This is open to local businesses, bakers, artisans and community organizations who want to reach the hundreds of shoppers passing through on event day. Condo residents without driveways can also sign up as vendors to participate.

Past vendors have included local bakers, health and wellness businesses and community programs. Some have gone on to open their own storefronts. The community centre spot is a real opportunity to get in front of a large local audience in a high-energy environment.

You do not need to register to shop. Just show up to Thornhill on Saturday May 30 between 8AM and 3PM and follow the signs. Scan any QR code on any sign to pull up the live map showing every participating home.

At 3PM, if you have items left over that you would like to donate, let the team know when they come to collect the signs. A local charity will pick up donated items from participating homes at the end of the day.

Sellers who want to donate a portion of their proceeds can hand those over to Kirby's team at the end of the event. A collective donation gets made on behalf of the community and the outcome is shared across social media. In past years the event has raised significant donations for the local food bank alongside tubs of donated goods. It turns a day of decluttering into a day of community contribution.

Note: Event details are accurate as of the date of publication. Dates, times and vendor availability are subject to change. Check kirbychanandco.com/yardsale for the most current information. Seller and vendor spots are limited and allocated on a first-come first-served basis. This event is organized independently and does not constitute endorsement by any municipal authority.