What, when and where
Every community sign answers three questions: what is happening, when, and where. Put the date with its weekday (the chicken barbecue is Saturday, October 24), the hours, and the place. Add "until sold out" for a barbecue, a rain date for anything outdoors, and an arrow on the signs at the turns.
- Sales: yard sale, multi-family yard sale, tag sale with an arrow, rummage sale, library book sale.
- Fire companies: chicken barbecue, open house, fund drive, volunteers wanted, thank you first responders.
- Town: community day, community cleanup, leaf pickup, farmers market, parade, tree lighting.
Town rules worth knowing
Many towns limit how early event signs go up and how fast they come down. In East Fishkill, garage sale signs may go up no more than seven days before and come down within 24 hours after; nonprofit and homeowner event signs, 14 days before and 48 hours after. Keep signs on private property and off utility poles everywhere. A "road closed" notice is for the municipality only, and never styled like the real barricade.
Neighborhood signs
The neighborhood watch design uses a generic eye and house, not the national program's trademarked logo. Town seals and "by order of the Town Board" lines go on a sign only when the town supplies them.