NEDERLAND - In Nederland, back in 1985, seven “peaceful warriors” gathered to fight forthe nuclear disarmament in the world. Through demonstrations in the streets and acts of civil disobedience, these women helped to spread antinuclear sentiment across this small corner of the world.

The actions of Arlene Strand, Ellen Moore, Barbara Farwell, Liz Caile, Jean Gardener, Phillys Wright, and Lori Sawyer helped to create the Mountain Forum for Peace (MFP), which still, to this day, carries the torch of environmental justice and of peace for the Peak to Peak area.

Every year the nonprofit organization promotes its mission for peace through advocacy, such as hosting Nederland’s participation in the national Hands Off! back on April 5, 2025. They also work through education by awarding grants and hosting engaging lectures by special guest speakers. 

MFP also hosts a tradition that began back in the 1980s in the “peaceful warrior” Farwell’s own backyard and has become one of the Nederland community’s favorite events: their annual Yard Sale fundraiser.

From Friday, May 30, to Sunday, June 1, the Nederland Community Center was jam-packed with all sorts of trinkets, knickknacks, and baubles for those who love their bling, as well as tables full of household essentials and necessities for the more pragmatic shoppers. 

There was something for every kind of shopper at this year’s Yard Sale. Collectors could scour through a wide selection of art, including more famous, recognizable recreations, to new and original work, to even promotional movie posters.

Treasure hunters could find luck rummaging through bins of records, shelves of books, piles of DVDs. Hobbyists had their pick of professional telescopes, analog camera equipment, and antique typewriters. 

Adults crawled on their knees and filled their arms full of pots, pans, and kitchen ceramics, while children crawled on their knees and filled their arms with board games, stuffed animals, and plastic playsets of castles and beauty shops. 

Practical fashionistas trolled the ranks of pre-worn clothing.

And those looking for the best deal of all needed only to be patient and wait until Sunday, for every year, at 11:30 a.m. the Yard Sale briefly closes to prepare for a beloved tradition. At noon, the doors reopen again and those community members lined up outside are let loose to scramble and collect all that’s left at the sale for free! 

With special thanks to all those who donated, volunteered, and shopped this year, the 2025 Mountain Forum for Peace Yard Sale was a huge success, and this powerful fundraising effort backed by our local mountain communities will ensure that the organization’s fight for peace will continue on.