You yard sale junkies and collectors, celebrate! Each August, for four days, from the first Thursday until the first Sunday in August, you can shop 'til you drop during the momentous annual "World's Longest Yard Sale", as it's referred. It begins on Lookout Mountain along the route at Noccalula Falls Park in the City of Gadsden, Ala., and wends its way along several connecting highways and roads, basically following U.S. 127 all the way, 690 miles north, to U.S. 127 and MI-34 at Hudson, Michigan. Addison, Michigan claims an end point as well. Ending as it does as Michigan's U.S. 127 National Yard Sale, collectors and antique lovers will find it all: from toys to clocks, glassware, furniture antiques and collectibles to everything else, including household pets and farm animals.
It has become one of highlights of the year for Party at MI Place, Michigan's Festivals and Events Association's, (MFEA), which celebrates and publicizes all Michigan festivals and events. There is even a Party at MI Place podcast about the World's Longest Yard Sale by Sue Bila who reviews such events. Bila provides information about upcoming events and highlights people in the festival and vendors who are making a difference in Michigan's economy.
MichiganBusinessNetwork.com hosts Bila's Party at MI Place online podcast at noon very Wednesday with replays at 6 p.m., 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. This year's Aug. 2-5 sale saw plenty of sales action along the route which basically runs from the lower Appalachians to southern Michigan. The annual sale is at places known as the 127 Yard Sale or Corridor Yard Sale. The 2018 sale generated over more than one million Internet searches, according to Pronto.com's analytics, with other search engines listing heavy active searches on the topic as well. The World's Longest Yard Sale flows through six states: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan. Two scenic drives along the way feature, not only great buys at various private yard sales, but great scenery along Alabama's Lookout Mountain Parkway and Tennessee's Appalachians north to open farmland and Kentucky's “horse country,” through Ohio farmlands to the Great Lakes' State of Michigan.
“The entry point of the 127 Yard Sale in Gadsden, Alabama that starts of the extensive yard sale route.” [Photo By Dollie Gull-Goldman]
RV'ers especially enjoy the World's Longest Yard Sale because it provides them with an interesting route, great camping opportunities, and plenty of “Treasure hunting” along the way. According to Joyce Randall of Mountain Glen RV Park and Campground in Pikeville, Tenn., “This is one of our busiest times of the year with 'sold out' camping spaces.” Randall suggests, “Make your reservation for next year’s yard sale now at Mountain Glen RV Park and Campground. Mountain Glen, a Good Sam park, is located at 6182 Brockdell Rd., Pikeville, Tenn. 37367.
“While Mountain Glen and Pikeville are not directly on the yard sales' route, we are near enough that that it is only a few short miles from the route, and many yard sales opportunities along the way, although not necessarily on U.S. 127,” Randall reports. Mountain Glen RV Park and Campground offer opportunities for all kinds of campers. “We are always busiest during the summer months,” Randall says adding that, “Campers can stay here and reach many vendors.” Mountain Glen features 41 campsites with pull-throughs, 30/50 amp service and full hookups with free wifi. Big rigs are welcome. This area of Tennessee abounds with opportunities for hikers, bikers, ATV riders, kayakers and canoers, along with great shopping opportunities. Hunting here in fall and winter also attracts campers.
“Mountain Glen RV Park and Campground attracts campers who enjoy shopping, with 12 major vendor stops nearby and more than 1,000 vendors within easy reach,” adds Randall who notes the Randall's also own 127YardSale.com. The website offers many services of interest to those who seek to attract visitors to their sales points along the way. Items such as T-shirts and ribbons, snappy yard sales sign-making materials and more necessary items for selling are featured at this website.
Tennessee and Kentucky have always been especially well known as one of the better places to shop for antiques and old farm implements, and homemade quilts. But Ohio and Michigan are also good places to shop for those as well. Ohio's farmlands offer great antiquing. Michigan also hosts a number of antique fairs. Vendors along the World's Longest Yard Sale offer items like hunting dogs and family pets to farm animals and all kinds of clothing, furniture, rugs and just about anything anyone can imagine. Homemade items, such as hand-made quilts, chenille bedspreads and doilies can be found. Coming up this fall at Midland and Davisburg, Mich., are popular fall Antique Festivals. Midland hosts three such events in June and July with its September antique fest to be held in Midland, Sept. 22-23. Davisburg will host its Antique Festival Oct. 6 - 7.
Similar to the World's Longest Yard Sale, and also held each August, is Michigan's Longest Garage Sale. This route stretches across Michigan from Berrien on Lake Michigan, to Detroit at Lake Erie's shore. It is also known as the U.S.-12 Heritage Trail. This year's 180-mile long event was just held Aug. 10-12. Yet another similar event is the Annual National Road Yard Sale, the 16th annual, which will be held May 29 - June 2, 2019. This dawn-to-dusk event on Historic U.S.-40 starts in St. Louis, Mo., and ends in Cumberland, Pa., a route of 824 miles. Each of these yard and road sales are popular with RV'ers who find great camping parks and campgrounds, as well as spots to “stealth camp” along the way.