The Sundown Concert Series at Kiesel Park starts in Auburn.

It’s almost fall in the Loveliest Village on the Plains and the lazy days of summer are coming to a close.  There is no excuse to not be outside in these few days.  Football, barbeques and concerts in the park are the words around the town.

Sundown at Kiesel Park is held every Thursday from September, 10th to October, 22nd.  Bring your family and a blanket out to Kiesel Park in south Auburn to listen to bands like County Road 21, Satin Soul, Auburn Road and Spoonful James.

The concerts are FREE for all ages (and TheFreeWay loves anything that’s free!).  Concerts at the park are a great way to enjoy the local entertainment and to be a part of your local community.  The City of Auburn, AL Parks and Recreation Department welcome you to come out from 6 – 7:30 p.m. and enjoy the fellowship of your community.

And don’t forget, TheFreeWay is the free way to buy or sell your items online and support the Auburn/Opelika community.

Selling something online and writing a description isn’t rocket science, but sometimes it’s hard to know if you’re putting the right thing.

Thousands of people log in every day to list their items for sale online.  If you’ve never sold anything online before this process may seem daunting.  For someone who has been using computers for years may seem pretty simple. 

To sell an item online all you really need to do is figure out a price of the item and a brief description.  Prices may differ from person to person based on how old the item is, the shape the item is in, or the quality of the item.  The price can be whatever you are comfortable with or, if you’ve done your research, whatever the average current value of your item. 

The title, however, is the key ingredient to this recipe. When writing a description it is helpful to think about what a potential buyer would be looking for.  For example if you were trying to sell a pair of shoes, the title “Shoes for Sale” wouldn’t give a potential buyer any idea what you were really selling.  An example of a good title would be, “Size 7 Brown Suede JCrew Shoes.”

A good title is brief, in less than seven words, and it contains important keywords that potential buyers will be looking for.  In the detailed description of the item you can elaborate as much as you can.  Does it have any scratches?  How old is it?  Is it still wrapped?  Why don’t you need it any longer?

The final thing you should do when selling an item is attach a picture.  When someone can visualize your item it makes a world of difference!  With a brief, descriptive title and a photo you are sure to get a great response from what you are selling.

Below are more examples that can help steer you in the right direction when naming your title.

Selling:  A used car.
Good title:  ’95 Black Celica 15,000 miles

Selling:  An unworn item of clothing.
Good title:  Never worn Monique Lulhier Ivory dress

America celebrates with BBQ, sweet tea, berry cobbler and fireworks.

The weekend is almost here and I can almost smell the BBQ in the air.  The best part of living in the Auburn -Opelika area is that fact that there are two amazing fourth of July celebrations that you can go to.  Opelika’s Annual Freedom Celebration will start at 6:30pm at the Opelika High School Football Practice Field.  Then on Saturday bring the family out to the Duck Samford Football Stadium in Auburn for the Annual Fourth of July Celebration opening at 6pm.  Enjoy fireworks and fun at both events. 

We will be off tomorrow to start celebrating the weekend but TheFreeWay will still be going strong. Happy buying and selling and happy fourth!

We are not Craigslist and we don’t want to be.  We are, and will always be, a community site.

The Craigslist Killer. Just the name alone is enough to make you scared of using the internet to buy and sell you things.  You realize that you are buying things from complete strangers and who knows how sane or deranged they may be.  We just wanted to tell you that it’s OK to be cautious but don’t let it get the best of you! 

We’re not Craigslist.  Nor do we strive to be.  Craigslist is great, but it’s huge.  There is no telling who you are talking to.  TheFreeWay a local site for local people.  We take great strides in monitoring our site so that you don’t get spammed.  We would also hope that you don’t get scammed, but there will always be those sketch balls out there and we will always be there fighting them.

We do NOT and will NOT ever have “adult services” listings on our site.  We are family site; A community site. You shouldn’t have to worry about your child using our site.  And if you see an ad on our site that isn’t exactly inappropriate, but you don’t feel good about it, then let us know!  There is a “Report This Ad” button at the bottom of every listing or you can always just send us an email.

We are concerned about the safety of our community.  We are also concerned about your thoughts or misgivings.  It’s OK to be cautious about buying from a stranger (even if they are local!)  Be a smart buyer and protect yourself. Take a friend with you when you go to pick up an item from a stranger.  Meet in a public place!  Go with your gut instincts.  If it feels wrong, for any reason, then it is.  Buying an item you need for less is an awesome feeling!  Working with your community is a great feeling too.  Although there can be some potholes on the road to online buying, don’t let them stop you form reaching your goal of an awesome deal! 

We had fun!  It was good to see the Auburn Community rain or shine.

Trading and bartering goods or services through the internet can be a great way for members of the community to reach out and lend a helping hand to each other while saving a dime or two.

One of the best trends going on in the internet today is trading and bartering for items or services.  While money belts are tightening, people are getting creative about how to get the things they need for less.  People are trading everything, and I mean everything.  You need a dress for your daughter hemmed and you found a woman who needs a fence fixed in the yard. Through the classifieds you can connect with these people in your community and donate your time instead of spending money.

Not only is this a great way to save a little cash by donating your time, but you are also getting the feeling of helping another person out.  It’s not just sending money out into cyberspace.  You actually can create a connection with someone in your community and feel like you’ve helped them out and they can feel the same way.

A lot of the problems people have with doing business over the internet is that it’s a big bad world out there and the internet can be a scary, impersonal space. We try really hard to make TheFreeWay be a community site.  We are all about connecting the community and getting people in touch with locals in their area.  Find someone in your area who you can actually reach out to with the click of the mouse.

A helpful summary of recurring fun things for the whole family to do in the Auburn - Opelika area.  (Don’t see your favorite summer event?  Email us and we’ll add it!!!)

No place knows about community events like Auburn Alabama.  Summers here in the Opelika - Auburn area are where the living is easy and nothing is better than a glass of lemonade outdoors with friends.  This summer there are so many good things to do around town.  Here is a quick list of some fun things to do around the community throughout the summer that are fun for the whole family. 

Summer Swing’s Noon Tunes
When:  Every Wednesday in May at Noon
Where: Courthouse Square in Opelika
Bring a sack lunch and a quilt to enjoy live music from local bands around the fountain in downtown Opelika.

Sundown Concert Series
When:  Every Thursday in May at 6:00 p.m.
Where:  Keisel Park, Auburn
Come enjoy a beautiful sunset in the rolling fields of Keisel park and listen to great music with your neighbors or you can even bring your pup.

The Market at Ag Heritage Park
When: Every Thursday from 3-6 p.m. Through August 27th.
Where: Ag Heritage Park, Auburn
Support your local business by dropping by the farmers market at Ag Heritage Park.  The 2009 Market will be located on the other side of Ag Heritage Park’s pond, on the green area near the Alfa Farmers Pavilion on Donahue Drive.

MainStreet Farmers Market
When:  Every Tuesday from 3-6 p.m. begining June 2nd
Where:  Railroad Avenue, Opelika
Fresh food and Friendly people every Tuesday in Opelika.

Free Friday Night Flicks
When:  Every Friday in June at Sundown (around 8 p.m.)
Where: Cornerstone Church parking lot, Auburn
Bring dinner or a snack for some fellowship and fun with the whole family.  Movies will not be rescheduled if cancelled due to weather.

Slide Into Savings
When: Every Thursday in July
Where: Surfside Water Park, Auburn
Everyone in the family can enjoy waterslides and water fun at Surfside for $14.99 each (plus tax).