Verde Valley Sanctuary’s inaugural fall event combines thrift-store treasures, food trucks and live entertainment while raising awareness during Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Thrift shopping, live music, local food and a meaningful mission will come together in Camp Verde this October as Verde Valley Sanctuary brings its popular “Thrifty” celebration to a new community.
The inaugural Fall Thrifty will take place Saturday, October 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Twice Nice Thriftique in Camp Verde, 527 S. Main St.
Following the success of Verde Valley Sanctuary’s Spring Thrifty events in Sedona in 2025 and 2026, the organization is expanding the experience to Camp Verde with an afternoon designed to bring the community together while introducing more people to the services VVS provides throughout the Verde Valley.
“We’re excited to welcome the community to our upcoming Fall Thrifty event, a day filled with live music, food, shopping and plenty of fun for the whole family,” said Brian Bergner, VVS Development and Communications Director. “But this event is about more than just having a good time.”
Throughout the event, most items inside Twice Nice will be 50 percent off, giving thrift shoppers plenty of opportunities to hunt for clothing, home goods, furniture and unexpected treasures.
“Everyone loves the fun earrings we carry,” said Roberta Alegria, store manager for Twice Nice in Camp Verde. “This will be a fun environment with both staff and volunteers ready to have a good time with the community. We love to help people shop!”
Shopping is only part of the celebration.
For every three items donated during Fall Thrifty, guests will receive a raffle ticket to enter into a prize drawing. Additional raffle tickets will also be available for purchase. The Greater Verde Valley Chamber of Commerce will host a 50/50 raffle, and participants will not need to be present to win either drawing.
Guests can grab lunch from Bushmaster BBQ, serving favorites including brisket, ribs, chicken, pulled pork and its signature Arizona Twinkies. Samantha Daissy Sweets will bring street-style treats including vasos locos, mini churro donuts, paletas locas, elote and nacho bars, charcuterie cups, tropical lemonades and more.
The afternoon will also feature a live remote radio appearance from KKLD The Cloud 95.9 FM, complete with Yavapai Broadcasting’s booth and prize wheel. Sedona-based multi-instrumentalist sister duo Kaleidoscope Redrocks will provide live music into the afternoon.
While Fall Thrifty promises plenty of fun, its timing carries special meaning. October is nationally recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, making the event an opportunity to start conversations and help community members better understand the resources available to survivors.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of providing safety and support for survivors in our community,” Bergner said. “We believe raising awareness about domestic violence is one of the most powerful tools we have to create change.”
Verde Valley Sanctuary’s outreach and lay legal team will be available during the event to answer questions and share information about the organization’s programs.
More Than a Thrift Store
For Verde Valley Sanctuary, Twice Nice is much more than a place to find a bargain.
The Camp Verde and Sedona Thriftiques generate approximately 20 to 25 percent of the nonprofit’s annual operating budget, helping VVS provide safety, services and support to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
The stores also directly benefit people rebuilding their lives.
“In addition to helping fund the program, the thrift stores provide clothing, furniture and household goods for survivors,” Alegria said.
That support is part of a mission that began more than three decades ago.
Verde Valley Sanctuary grew from a grassroots group of women concerned about domestic violence in their community. Before a local shelter existed, volunteers took crisis calls in their homes and transported survivors more than 50 miles to shelters in Flagstaff, Prescott and Phoenix.
In 1993, community donations helped the organization open the Verde Valley’s first domestic violence shelter in a leased modular home with room for six people.
Today, VVS operates a 28-bed emergency shelter and provides transitional housing, community-based advocacy, lay legal advocacy, youth violence prevention education, outreach and a 24-hour crisis hotline.
During fiscal year 2025-26 alone, Verde Valley Sanctuary provided services to more than 1,500 survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, provided nearly 7,600 bed nights and answered almost 1,300 crisis hotline calls.
“The Thrifty events are a fun way to bring the community together and learn more about the mission of Verde Valley Sanctuary,” said VVS Executive Director Jessye Johnson. “It’s been a pleasure for our staff from different parts of the organization to get an opportunity to engage with community members in a fun and relaxing way.”
Plan Your Visit
The Fall Thrifty takes place Saturday, October 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Twice Nice Thriftique, 527 S. Main St. in Camp Verde.
During the event, the store parking lot will largely be reserved for vehicles dropping off donations. Guests staying for the festivities are encouraged to park in the spaces along Main Street on the east side of the street or in the Yavapai Title Agency parking lot directly across from Twice Nice on Fain Street.
Whether visitors come to donate, search for a great thrift-store find, grab something delicious to eat or enjoy the music, every part of Fall Thrifty helps support an organization that has spent more than 30 years providing safety and hope to survivors throughout the Verde Valley.
For more information about Verde Valley Sanctuary, its programs, Twice Nice Thriftiques or ways to support its mission, visit VerdeValleySanctuary.org. The organization’s 24/7 crisis hotline is 928-634-2511.