buggieswww.padutchcountry.com/Coy Butler

Bored of browsing the local shopping mall? Then consider a trip to the annual Amish mud sales.

Set among country fields or small towns of Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County each spring, these community auctions that are fundraisers for fire services that serve the local traditional Amish communities.

The sales happen every year on Saturdays from late February to mid-April – with a few sprinkled in May, June and August too.

manboyCredits: www.padutchcountry.com

These unique mud sales offer some great opportunities to interact with the Amish people, as the Amish and ‘English’ – as the rest of us are known – mix easily at these events.

Whether you’re browsing or bidding, an additional treat is the delicious PA Dutch fare on offer, like chicken corn soup, funnel cakes, pot pie, birch beer, sticky buns, chicken barbecue, and plenty of hot cider and coffee.  

auctionCredit: www.padutchcountry.com

But don’t worry: it’s not ‘mud’ that’s for sale. There’s a huge range of items for sale, including the proverbial kitchen sink, along with handmade Amish quilts and furniture, antiques, toys, livestock, handcrafts, buggies, clothing, farm equipment and house wares. And all of it is sold at up to six simultaneous auctions at various locations around the grounds and firehouse, which makes for a truly captivating experience. You can see a short video of the experience below.

Amish Mud Sales