Sidewalk Sale turns 50

Sidewalk Sale notes

• Stores downtown will open as early as 6 a.m. and many stay open until 8 p.m. or later.

• Shoppers can ride the T for free from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 11 go downtown.

• There is a 40 percent chance for rain on Thursday, and the high will be around 90 degrees.

• Check LJWorld.com throughout the day for the best sales and also to submit your photos for our gallery.

• Enter to win a $25 or $50 Visa gift card by visiting the Lawrence Marketplace booth at Ninth and Massachusetts streets.

• Tweet with the hashtag #swsale for the chance to win a $50 Visa giftcard. For more information, visit LJWorld.com/swsale.

The organizers for Thursday’s 50th annual Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale don’t have anything special planned for the shopping extravaganza that draws thousands downtown each year.

But they don’t really need to, said Jane Pennington, executive director for Downtown Lawrence, which organizes the sale.

It’s all about the deals.

“The attraction is the great savings,” she said.

Area merchants are preparing for the big day.

Last week at Kieu’s, 738 Mass., about 10 workers were busy stocking, and of course, marking down prices.

Nearly everything in the women’s clothing store will be at least half off, said manager Afton O’Connor.

It’ll be a long day for workers, she said, as the store opens at 5:30 a.m.

But, “It goes by fast,” O’Connor said of the busiest day of the year for the store.

At Francis Sporting Goods, 731 Mass., salesman John Williams promised that shoppers would find the best bargains on shoes.

“If you can find your size, you’re not going to get a better deal,” he said.

The best advice for the sale is arrive early, Pennington said. Many stores open before 6 a.m., and shoppers hit downtown as early as 5 a.m.

“The really good deals are going to go fast,” she said.