It has a rich heritage, deep traditions and a bright future. It is home to community-oriented people who worship, care for their neighbors and always try to do the right things.

Churchtown is deserving of its own day.

The Caernarvon Historical Society is one of the sponsors of the annual Churchtown Day, a time when local residents come together to celebrate what it means to be from a smalltown. In the case of Churchtown, that means yard saling.

This year's Churchtown Day festivities will take place during the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 1.

"We have tons of people who come out to shop and see what they can find," said Yvonne Styer, president of the historical society. "Some people browse. People come out early. At 1:00, it's pretty much all done. It's a lot of locals. We've done it for so many years that people know it's the first Saturday in August."

Churchtown Day will begin with a hearty, all-you-can-eat breakfast of pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit, juice and coffee, from 6 to 10 a.m. at Caernarvon Fire Company, 2145 Main St., Narvon.

The flea market activities will start at 7 a.m. and conclude informally at noon. The townwide flea market will be centered around the Caernarvon Historical Society and Museum at 2148 Main St., Narvon, where more than 50 yard sale merchants will be plying their wares and offering hidden treasures, both inside and outside.

The yard sale spirit is expected to spread throughout Churchtown and manifest itself in pop-up sales.

All of the activities associated with Churchtown will be conducted rain or shine.

"Anybody in town can do it, outside on their own properties," said Styer, a resident of Churchtown. "I'll tell you what, people find bargains. You'd be surprised what people have. Mainly they're selling things they don't want anymore. Some people buy things and resell them. But the majority are local people who come out to see if they can get a bargain."

The origins of Churchtown Day can be traced to the 1970s. For its part, the Caernarvon Historical Society is hoping to make nearly $2,000 from its yard sale, funds that will be used to maintain its building and pay for utilities.

"(Churchtown Day) hasn't really changed a lot," said Styer. "We're there to help people find things. If they want to come in and talk history, we love to do that."

A census-designated place, Churchtown is home to fewer than 1,000 residents.

For additional information, go to https://caernarvonlancaster.org/community.