Beltrami Electric plans annual indoor garage sale, benefits United Way

Bargain hunters will find more than 95 vendor booths inside Beltrami Electric Cooperative’s garage in Bemidji, where the 17th annual Indoor Garage Sale is set for Saturday, May 2, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 4111 Technology Drive NW. Admission is $1 per person, while children 12 and under get in free, making it one of the cheapest all-day stops on the local calendar.

Shoppers can expect a mix of new and gently used items, along with food concessions that have become part of the draw. Walking tacos, hot dogs and baked goods are planned, and The Wandering Bean Coffee Truck is scheduled to be on site, giving the sale more of a spring market feel than a simple garage cleanout. For families and bargain seekers alike, the combination of low entry cost and a full room of vendors is what keeps the event crowded year after year.

The sale has been a Beltrami County tradition since 2008, and the numbers help explain why it has lasted. Last year’s indoor garage sale drew more than 1,680 attendees, including vendors, and raised $6,700 for the United Way of the Bemidji Area. Beltrami Electric says the event has brought in more than $87,400 since 2007, a steady stream of community support built one Saturday at a time.

That long run also reflects Beltrami Electric’s place in the area. Established in 1940, the member-owned cooperative serves more than 17,000 member-owners across a 3,000-square-mile service area around Bemidji. The garage sale gives the co-op a highly visible way to turn that local reach into direct help for United Way, while giving residents a place to shop, visit and support a familiar cause without paying much to walk through the door. The 2026 sale follows that same formula, with vendor registration having opened March 19.