It's the World's Longest Yardsale, also known as the 127 Corridor Sale...
650 miles, or thereabouts, across five states, from Gadsden, Alabama, to West Unity, Ohio. Headquartered in Jamestown, Tennessee at the Fentress County Chamber of Commerce, this unique event was first held in 1987 to lure travelers off of the interstate highways and onto the scenic back roads along the Route 127 corridor through Kentucky and Tennessee. 2009 marks the 22nd anniversary of the sale, which keeps getting longer and longer! Ohio joined only four years ago.
Attracting hundreds of thousands of bargain-hunting road trippers, the annual World's Longest Yardsale always starts on the first Thursday in August and continues four days through the weekend, ending on Sunday. This year, the dates are August 6-9th. Thousands of vendors take part in the sale each year; Mile after mile, you pass houses with tables out in the yard. In some spots such as school or church parking lots, organizations will rent spaces to vendors to maximize "one stop shopping." You'll find everything from antiques, old tools, baskets, quilts and linens, regional hand-made crafts, new and used household items, clothing, jewelry, trinkets, collectibles ...you name it and it's probably there, somewhere!
In addition to this truly unique shopping experience, there are many, many local attractions to enjoy along the route. You won't be able to cover it all so choose a section and research what that particular area has to offer.
Here are a few tips from someone who's "been there, done that:"
If you're planning to attend The World's Longest Yardsale, you'll want to... .
1. Wear comfortable shoes.
2. Bring wads of cash.
3. Pack plenty of snacks and water for the times that you are stuck in traffic.
4. Don't let your gas tank get too close to empty.
5. Make lodging and campground reservations well ahead of time.
6. Expect congested and slow moving traffic with occasional sudden. If you are prone to "road rage," this isn't the place for you!
7. Allow some time to enjoy some of the region's wonderful attractions.
For information about lodging or local attractions, contact the Fentress County Chamber
Originators of The World's Longest Yard Sale, at 800-327-3945 or 931-879-9948.
For information about horse properties in the Big South Fork Tennessee area, www.trailridersrealestate.com
Comments(1)