World’s Longest Yard Sale

Shopping it since 1995.

The world’s longest yard sale, 690 miles of it!

It is always the first Thursday in August of every year and it starts in Gadsden, Alabama and ends in Addison, Michigan, or if you live in the north you will say,

“It starts in Addison, Michigan and ends in Gadsden, Alabama”.

The history of the sale is so sweet, when it started a long time ago (1987) it was for the folks living in these rural areas on highway 127 (Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan) to make money!

They’d sale everything they could haul to their yards for the income, anyways, that’s what I have read about this sale online over the years.

Now it has grown so much, quite commercial, why there are folks from other states bringing in there goods to sale on highway 127 too. It has brought growth to the rural areas with businesses blooming and the small towns aren’t so small anymore. I have seen it change so much.

We have met some awesome folks throughout the 28 years we have been shopping it.

Beautiful scenery, precious people.

Pall Mall, Tennessee. Shoppers wading in the Wolf River at the Gristmill.

If you decide to go on this journey, I recommend book your accommodations at least one month in advance, so you will know exactly where you are sleeping at night.

We drive to our furthest point and each day we are a little closer to home. It’s fun and lots and lots of exercise, cause you are constantly getting in and out of your vehicle, shopping.

Vendors are set up almost the entire stretch and our favorites are the folks selling vintage and antique items.

So much snuff, I mean stuff to buy.

And great food, pinto beans, turnip greens, fried cornbread, fried apple pies, homemade ice cream, hot dogs, bologna sandwiches and barbecue! The vendors are here to please you.

Now this is how you make homemade ice cream! Lots of hard working folks and this cream is delicious. If you miss it at one sale, believe me a few miles up or down highway 127 and another vendor will surely be serving up more.

Items for sale.

Oops this one is not for sale, that’s a shopper.

Yes this yard sale is definitely dog friendly.

See how entertaining it can be! Bet he sells out.

It really is something to enjoy.

I bought this guy for a $1.00! He was enjoying the sale at the Senior Citizen Lodge in Crossville, Tn and walking around with a price tag on his back for a dollar.

Mr. Leonard told me about his picture being in the newspaper, so I bought several to share. He is a World War II Veteran and a young 97 year old.

If you can’t do the entire 690 miles of it, just do half of it.

Pack good walking shoes. I start out in hiking boots early in the morning “due to the dew” on the ground and it always, always rains in Dunlap, Tennessee.

Then, when the sun comes out, you will need a good hat, flip flops and don’t forget your Sunscreen.

We drove all the way to Albany, Kentucky this time. One of my favorite places to stay is on the Cumberland Lake. This year we stayed at the Safe Harbor, Jamestown Marina, in Jamestown, Kentucky. Wonderful lodging and we took a water taxi for supper.

Supper cool. The boat ride was just as good as the catfish.

And just in time to capture a beautiful sunset too.

Other places we have enjoyed on the Cumberland Lake are the

Cumberland Lake State Park, Jamestown, Kentucky and Grider Hill Dock in Albany, Kentucky.

Both places have great views of the lake and delicious hospitality.

Hope you have enjoyed this little road trip. The 127 Yard Sale this year, 2024, was the 38th consecutive year the event has been held.

PS: I must tell you this, it’s about the bathrooms, you will see a lot of these:

Yep, you must, must plan your bathroom breaks around service stations, maybe a fast food restaurant or you will have to use a portable potty. Just practice your breathing techniques and hold your breath and make it a fast entry, if you gotta go, you gotta go.

Pss: Some of the Churches in some of the towns are open and will let you go in and use their bathrooms, which is super nice and I wish they all would. I am happy to leave a tip in a Church that provides this hospitality.