40th Mennonite Country Auction slated for Saturday, Oct. 7

The annual Mennonite Country Auction and Relief Sale is set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 7. The event has been held in Ritzville on the first Saturday of October for the past 40 years, and is expecting to welcome even more visitors to the central location.

The event is held at the Menno Mennonite Church halfway between Moses Lake and Ritzville. Breakfast starts at 7 a.m. and booths open at 10 a.m., followed by the live auction at noon.

The annual auction and sale proceeds support the Mennonite Central Committee in their outreach efforts worldwide. The Mennonite churches throughout the country and Canada have raised over $2.5 million for relief through the Mennonite Central Committee.

Auction coordinators remind visitors there will be lines forming at booths before they open at 10 a.m. The line for cheese, sausage, ham and bacon opens earlier than most of the booths, and the stock popular food items tend to sell quickly.

Visitors are welcome and encouraged to bring a cooler with them to transport food items home. Along with the meats and cheeses, kraut ranzas, apple cider, apple butter, baked goods and New Year’s cookies are also for sale on the grounds.

The apple cider and apple butter are made fresh at the grounds, and visitors are welcome to watch the process.

Other food items available for purchase include sausage on a stick, pie, ice cream, hamburgers, German green bean soup and ribs.

At 10:30 a.m., the Liberty Quartet will perform live on the grounds. The barbershop gospel group’s performance will conclude prior to the start of the auction.

Those interested in bidding on items in the live auction can pickup a free bidder number on the grounds. This year’s auction items include a loaf of bread, Seahawks tickets, patio side tables, furniture, quilts, afghans and more.

All of the quilts, wall hangings and afghans are on display prior to the start of the auction, when buyers can have an up-close look at the items. The quilts are both tied and hand quilted, and come from all over the country.

The quilts also include a variety of baby quilts to king-size, as well as wall hangings of various sizes.

On the grounds, there is also an ongoing My Coins Count kid’s project, which supports water pump projects. Visitors are encouraged to bring their spare change to donate to the project.

Auction coordinators also announced the return of Free Trade coffee. Individuals who purchase a mug and the first cup of coffee will receive free refills throughout the event.

The Mennonite Country Auction also serves as a perfect opportunity to begin Christmas shopping, coordinators explained. Ten Thousand Villages shop will be on the grounds selling baskets, trinkets, toys and jewelry from around the world, and the Recycled Spoon will have silver plate jewelry available.

The Menno Mennonite Church is located at 1378 N. Damon Road in Ritzville. Those traveling from Ritzville are advised to take Rosenoff Road, and then follow the signs for the auction, before turning left on Damon Road.