A Tag Sale You Won’t Want To Miss
The Wee Woods kids’ adventure playground at Memorial Park.
This year marks the 21st anniversary of the epic and hugely popular Ree-Play tag sale, where you can shop gently used children’s clothing, accessories, maternity clothes, and more. The annual event, which is organized by the Wee Play Community Project, takes place at University Settlement Camp, Beacon, NY, from Friday, April 25th to Sunday, April 27th, 2025.
Beacon has come a long way in the past twenty years. In the early 2000s, there were few community options for children to play either indoors or outdoors, and there were limited funds available for improvements. Things began to change when a group of concerned parents joined forces to create a “Tot Park.” They soon launched the Ree-Play Sale to serve as an annual fundraiser for their efforts—raising enough after a few years to build the colorful Wee Play Tot Park in Memorial Park. Funds raised by the Ree-Play Sale have helped pay for improvements to the park and have supported several free children’s programs over the years. The Wee Play Community Project serves as a volunteer arm of the City of Beacon Parks & Recreation Department.
Exploring Tot Park and the Wee Woods
One side of the community mural by local artist Joe Pimentel.
The creative spirit and natural beauty of Beacon is reflected in the Wee Tot Park, which is no ordinary park. In 2017, the volunteers partnered with One Nature—a local, independent nursery focused on environmental stewardship—to convert a wooded area up the hill from Wee Play Tot Park into an inviting, adventure space called The Wee Woods. They planted 50 new trees leading to a nature-based playground consisting of a simple ropes course, wooden balance beams/bridges, and boulders for jumping. In 2019, the public bathroom was given a spectacular makeover with a colorful wild-animal themed collaborative community mural by local artist Joe Pimentel. In 2022, misters were added to some of the trees in the Wee Woods to provide a cooling mist of water on hot summer days. A major renovation of the Tot Park was completed in partnership with the City of Beacon Parks & Recreation Department in 2024.
Activities for kids aged four and under
Under-fours can enjoy Come & Play at the Howland Public Library every Monday.
There’s even more to Wee Play than the creation of safe, fun outdoor spaces. The organization is also responsible for creating two weekly play-based activities for kids under four and their caregivers in Beacon. Come & Play—an open play time—occurs every Monday at the Howland Public Library (313 Main Street) from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, while Block Party—a play time with Imagination Playground Building Blocks—happens every Wednesday at the Beacon Rec Center (23 West Center Street) from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. The group also hosts a weekly outdoor event called Sprinkler Time at the Wee Woods and at Green Street during the summer.
Look out for other Wee Play Community Project events throughout the year, including a Halloween costume swap, a winter coat swap, and a helmet sale. As if that isn’t enough, the organization also provides financial support to a number of local community organizations serving children and families.
We asked volunteers recently what they felt Wee Play’s biggest achievement to date has been. They told us, “The Beacon parents who started Wee Play had a vision for free access for indoor and outdoor play for children. Two decades later, with many volunteers involved over the years, our greatest achievement is that this community, volunteer-driven group has continued to grow and add value for the children of Beacon.
Wee Play Community Project ensures Beacon’s kids have free access to indoor and outdoor play.
Tips for scoring big at the Ree-Play Sale
The Ree-Play Sale has grown in scale every year since it was established. It’s an enormous undertaking for the volunteers, and it can be overwhelming for anyone on the hunt for bargains. We asked the volunteers if they had tips for shoppers, and here’s what they said:
“Firstly, make a list! The sale is huge, so it’s helpful if you come with an idea of what you want to find and include your child's sizes for reference. Everything is organized by department with clothes and shoes arranged by size, which makes it a bit easier to navigate. We get so many wonderful donations, so the sale is “refreshed” throughout the weekend as items sell through.
“It's definitely worth attending more than once over the weekend, especially if you’re looking for clothing! With such a tremendously generous community of donors, we are happy to say we have nearly everything you could need from maternity wear up to size 14/16 clothing— and anything kids could want to play with or read, too. There’s truly something for everyone!”
In the coming year, Wee Play intends to continue working with local organizations and provide grants to them with funds raised from the Ree-Play Sale.
The Wee Play Community Project is an entirely volunteer-led and run organization, so if you’re looking for a worthwhile volunteer opportunity, they could use your help to sustain their programs and with planning for the 2026 Ree-Play Sale. See their website to learn how to get involved.
You’ll find the Ree-Play Sale located at the University Settlement Camp Theater at 724 Wolcott Avenue (9D) in Beacon. You can enter and park at the Beacon City Pool/Disc Golf Course entrance.
So, it turns out there’s so much more to Beacon’s largest tag sale than we first imagined. Not only can you get some great bargains and help keep good quality clothing out of landfill, you’ll also help fund an incredible volunteer run organization that’s been creating programs and safe, fun spaces Beacon’s kids for more than 20 years.
If you’re interested to learn more about organizations supporting Beacon kids, families, seniors, animals, and more, see our Community Directory. They’d welcome your support.
Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡
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