Stephens City Lions Ready to Serve Busy Route 11 Yard Crawl Location

Stephens City (Newtown Commons and Old School sites) will be one of the top three busiest locations during the 19th Annual Route 11 Yard Crawl on Saturday, August 10. With a total of 140 vendor spaces, only the Shenandoah Valley Flea Market in New Market (160 vendors) and the Strasburg Emporium (150 vendors) are busier.

Stephens City Newtown Commons bustling with treasure hunters perusing 100 vendors during the 2023 Route 11 Yard Crawl (The Ritenour-Miller-Barley House, built between 1810 and 1830 in the background). Courtesy Nancy Gunderman.

Vendor Spaces and Costs:  Dudley Rinker, Chair of the Stephens City Lions Club Yard Crawl Committee, announces that 100 vendor spaces are available for rent at Newtown Commons (5165 Main Street) and another 40 at the Stephens City Old School complex (5516 Main Street). The cost is $25 per spot; vendors can combine spaces if they need more room. Some vendors may wait to see if the weather is suitable before renting.

Gratitude and Support: The Town of Stephens City provides the Lions Club with free use of Newtown Commons Park for vendor spaces and arranges enhanced police coverage during the event. Stephens City has been part of the Yard Crawl partnership since 2008.

Stephens City Lions and Lionesses team photo, May 2023. Courtesy Stephens City Lions.

Stephens City Lionesses Sandy Brown, Vicki Davies, Angel Huyett, Ginnie Orndorff, and Judy Greene cook breakfast and lunch, operating out of the Newtown Commons concessions building. Courtesy Nancy Gunderman.

Food and Merchandise: The Stephens City Lionesses will sell coffee, bottled water, and soft drinks. Morning offerings include butter biscuits with sausage and Danish pastries, while hot dogs and potato chips will be available in the afternoon. The Lions will also sell t-shirts, brooms, and their famous homemade apple butter, cooked all day in copper kettles and poured into pint-size jars.

Kettle Korn is a combination of sweet and salty flavors. Since its comeback in the 2000s, Kettle Korn is always a festival crowd favorite. Courtesy Nancy Gunderman.

When it comes to sweets, old staples like ice cream are always sought out by both adults and the young folks. Courtesy Nancy Gunderman.

Food Favorites: Rinker mentions that traditional festival favorites like wood-fired pizza and BBQ continue to be popular, along with creative hot dogs, hamburgers, tacos, and burritos. Sweet treats include Kettle Korn, ice cream, funnel cakes, and cotton candy. Popular festival beverages are orange drinks, lemonade, and iced tea (sweet and unsweetened). The Lions seek additional food vendors to enhance the yard crawl experience.

Timing and Local Participation: Rinker believes early August is ideal for the Yard Crawl, offering a slow period before school starts and a perfect time for yard crawlers, tourists, and visitors. Approximately one-third of Stephens City’s Main Street residents set up on their front porches to sell their wares. As many as 400 people can be selling products within the town limits.

Event Tips

• Bring bottled water to stay hydrated.
• Stow nylon rope, lashing straps, or bungee cords for oversized purchases.
• Park vehicles completely off the road and avoid blocking driveways.
• No double parking is permitted along the entire route.

Additional Vendor Spaces

• Rick Kriebel, Manager of Collections and Programs at the Newtown History Center of the Stone House Foundation, has 24 vendor spaces for rent at 5408 Main Street.
• Kim Begnaud, Trinity Lutheran Church Community Outreach Minister, has 10 designated spaces for rent in the church parking lot at 810 Fairfax Street.

Stephens City Lions Club members Dudley Rinker (driving) and Bill Ewing oversee the 2023 Route 11 Yard Crawl operations at the Newtown Commons and the Old Stephens City School. Courtesy Nancy Gunderman.

Concessions and Collectibles: Stephens City UMC will manage a concession stand at 5291 Main Street, selling cookies, coffee, water, and potato chips. Mary Flock, a United Women in Faith (UWF) member, is coordinating the event. The Yard Crawl t-shirts, a collectible item with a different color each year, are cobalt blue this year and priced at $15 and $20 based on size. Available in all sizes from small to 3XL, shirts can be purchased at Main Street Classics (5441 Main Street) and other locations along the crawl route.

About Stephens City Lions Club: Established in October 1946, the Stephens City Lions Club is the oldest charitable organization in town. The Lions have been community leaders for decades, coordinating many activities in the historic district. Proceeds from rentals and concessions support sight and hearing conservation, youth activities, and other service projects.