I love fall. If there's anything better than being outside on a sunny, crisp fall day, I can't think what it would be. Happily, we had our first real fall days this past weekend, just in time for the sidewalk sale in Sag Harbor, a new tradition that I am already very fond of. Actually, memory may fail me here. I can't remember how far back the sale goes. I do remember it last year, but before that? Anyway, new or old, the autumn sidewalk sale is a keeper.

The only shortcoming I see is that not enough merchants participate. One merchant who sort of participated, put up a sign saying "Sidewalk Sale Inside." Is it possible to miss the point more wildly than that? It's not the sale; it's the sidewalk. OK, maybe for some, it's the sale. And, I admit to buying a few things last year and this because they were on sale, but it's the sociable feel of an open-air market that is the sidewalk sale's main attraction to me, and, I suspect, to many others.

It was so much fun to see the streets full of people walking, talking, and browsing through the merchandise while enjoying the bright sun and mild temperatures of a near-perfect fall day. On the sidewalk, dedicated shoppers indulged their passion without having to forsake the sunshine that warmed their backs, or the company of their less acquisitive friends and family. Equally pleasant was the fact that while bustling, the village was not mobbed, and the intensity of the summer crowds was not evident, in the more relaxed autumn atmosphere. Even the few exceptions -- for example, a woman, who noticed me admiring a clock at In Home, and quickly snatched it up the moment I turned to ask my wife if she liked it, or a man at Sylvester's who just couldn't wait for me to finish looking through the CDs -- were just typical of shoppers everywhere, and not really offensive. (Turns out my wife didn't really like the clock anyway.)

The sidewalk sale is both welcoming and unpretentious, which just about epitomizes what I think is best about Sag Harbor. We're still just a small town when we want to be, but one that encourages visitors to share in our bounty.

So, I would like to offer a warm thank you to the merchants of Sag Harbor who participated in the sidewalk sale; especially those who actually had merchandise on the sidewalk. You made my day. To those who didn't participate this year, a request:  please get with the program. As nice as this event was, it would be even better if more merchants actively participated.