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Billed as “The World’s Longest Yard Sale,” the 127 Yard Sale is an annual event that takes place next week, stretching 690 miles and spanning US Highway 127 across six states: Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

The 127 Yard Sale began in 1987 as the brainchild of Mike Walker, a former Fentress County Executive in Jamestown, Tennessee.

He planned the event to encourage travelers to bypass interstate highways such as I-40 and I-75 in favor of scenic routes that would take them through rural communities and allow them to experience what the small towns and cities had to offer. With state parks, historical attractions, scenic drives, waterfalls, opportunities for hiking and biking, rivers and lakes for boating, train rides, horseback riding, fishing, bluegrass music, arts and crafts festivals and more, this provided a great opportunity to bring more visitors to Tennessee and the 127 Yard Sale route.

Now, visitors from across the country, as well as those who have traveled internationally to the sale, enjoy both the yard sales and attractions they can find along the 127 Yard Sale route.

While the overall highway yard sale extends from Addison, Michigan in the north to Gadsden, Alabama in the South; in Kentucky the route stretches just over 200 miles, from Covington to Albany.

In 2024 the 127 Yard Sale will be held from August 1st-4th (Thursday-Sunday). This will be the 38th consecutive year this one-of-a-kind event has taken place since it began in 1987. As hundreds of thousands of “yardsalers” and vendors converge on the 690-mile route from across the country, organizers say this year’s edition, which runs from August 1 to August 4 is sure to be the biggest yet. 

The World’s Longest Yard Sale is also known to attract international interest as tourists and media from abroad seek to experience an event they will only find in the United States.

They even have their own website, 127yardsale.com. When visiting the site, those interested in participating, whether as a yardsaler, vendor, or rental space provider, can find tons of information. Resources include an interactive route map, a list of “Major Vendor Stops” (locations with 25 or more vendors grouped together), lodging, things to do and much more.