It’s this time of the year again. As May 31st approaches and leases end, local graduate students are moving out and leaving a lot of stuff behind this week. Local residents fondly call it “Penn Christmas” since the move-out detritus often yields a tasty score or two, from Ikea furniture to designer clothes.

Hot spots for sidewalk finds are often near the large Dumpsters placed around the neighborhood (41st and Spruce, 45th and Pine, 43rd and Pine are a few). What doesn’t wind up in the Dumpster will often find its way to the PennMoves sale, which is this Saturday, June 2.

Clothes, furniture, kitchen items, electronics and many other items have been collected and sorted for the sale, which will be held at Penn’s South Bank at 3401 Grays Ferry Ave. Getting there early is the key. A $5 entry fee gets you in for the sneak preview from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. From 10 a.m.–3 p.m. you can get in for free but a lot of the good stuff might be gone. All items are sold “as is” with no returns accepted.

Free parking is available, and Penn Transit will provide free shuttle service to and from campus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shuttles will pick up riders at the Schattner Center at 240 S. 40th St. (at Locust) approximately every 20 minutes. They’ll bring you and some small items back, but the shuttle won’t haul big items like furniture and appliances.

PennMOVES is organizing the sale for the fifth year, in an effort to find a home for items Penn students leave behind at the end of the academic year. Proceeds will go to Goodwill Industries.

Reminder: The “West Philly Grows Again” kids consignment sale will be held this Saturday, Jan. 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Nursery School (3916 Locust Walk). The sale will feature high-quality children’s and maternity clothing, toys, gear, and books. There will also be a raffle and prizes. See the flyer below for more information. All proceeds raised from this sale will go to support the nursery school programs and scholarships.

If you didn’t get a chance to participate in last summer’s “West Philly Grows Again” kids consignment sale, you can do it in January. Next sale will be held at St. Mary’s Nursery School (3916 Locust Walk) on Saturday, Jan. 28, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Consignor registration is going on right now.

For more information and to download a registration form please visit this page.

Here’s another opportunity to shop local for the holidays. The University City Arts League (4226 Spruce Street) is opening its annual Holiday Craft Show and Sale on Friday, Dec. 2.

Over 30 artists and crafts people will be selling their work, including jewelry, hand-painted silk scarves, pottery, hand-made gift cards, small paintings and prints. All work is hand-made and reasonably priced.

The artisans at the Arts League Crafts Show include Kelly Ann Mifflin (jewelry, pictured), Ken Beidler, Priscilla Sepe, Art Cohen, Dave (Fatman) Fowler (pottery), and Aubrey Levinthal (paintings).

The show is running December 2 through December 15 with the following hours: Dec. 2 & 3: 6 – 9 p.m., daily hours: 3 – 9 p.m., weekend hours: noon – 6 p.m.

60 percent of the proceeds will go to the artists and the remainder to support community arts programs provided by the Arts League.

St. Francis de Sales (47th & Windsor) is organizing a flea market tomorrow, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  There will also be a sidewalk sale at the corner of 43rd and Osage from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bargains, lots of useful stuff, and… free cookies! See the flyers below for more information.