Where Are The World’s Largest Yard Sales?

If you were fortunate enough to grow up in a community that promoted neighborhood-wide yard sales, then surely you have plenty of fond childhood memories of going house to house, yard to yard, searching for the perfect item to spend your allowance on. A bike, a book, your favorite record, even a unique sweater was fair game—but really, it was that drive of discovery that kept us excited and looking. Of course, when it comes to this serendipitous adrenaline, the bigger the community and the bigger the yard sale, the better.

That being said, is there a limit? Is there a yard sale that’s too big? We’ll happily say no, we’re more than glad to welcome any yard sale onto our site and into our hearts, no matter the size. However, not all yard sales are created equal, and there are some that push the envelope of what might be “too big” quite a bit. Specifically? We’re talking about the largest—or rather, the longest—yard sale in the world.

For yard sale enthusiasts looking for an Event with a capital E, the 127 Yard Sale is a must-see. Officially, it goes on for three days, the first Friday through Sunday of August each year (although many shops set up weeks before). Why is it so impressive? It goes on for an unbelievable 690 miles, starting in Gadsden, Alabama, cutting through Georgia, traveling up through Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio, and finally ending up in Addison, Michigan. Six states! Growing up we considered ourselves lucky if the community yard sale went into a second neighborhood!

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people join this massive event either as vendors or buyers. Many attempt to travel the length and visit as many stands as possible, and while this isn’t impossible, it isn’t all that feasible either. Assuming you want to cover that distance during those three official days, and assuming you’re moving at a reasonable 70 mph, the driving alone would take around 10 hours. Sure, certainly much shorter than even a single day, but that’s leaving any sort of rest stops out of the count, not to mention the time you need to spend at hundreds of different stands along the way.

In addition to the time spent at countless shops during this yard sale pilgrimage, there are plenty of other non-shopping activities that might catch your attention along the way. In Michigan, you’ll find Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm & Cidery. In Ohio, you’ll run into the VanWert Ribfest. In Kentucky, you can find The Dixie Belle River Boat. In Tennessee, you’ll find the largest waterfall open to the public, Ruby Falls. In Georgia, you’ll find Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. Finally, in Alabama, you’ll find the beautiful sights of Desoto State Park and Desoto Falls. Needless to say, there’s no shortage of sights to see along the path.

With a magnificent trail such as this one, we think it’s fair game to say that yard sales are some of the greatest events to ever grace the face of the planet. So, whether it’s during this massive event or otherwise, we say, long live the yard sale!