It is August and the most astounding phenomenon happens on Highway 127 in Tennessee. Well actually the quiet rural interstate road all the way from northern Ohio, through Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and into Alabama becomes one long continuous Yard Sale. It is 654 miles of commerce.
Most often the roadside is lined with farms and fields with small neighborhoods of homes. But this all changes the first week in August every years for 22 years now. It didn't start with over 600 miles but has slowly expanded over the years to now be a bargain shoppers dream. I went to visit friends who rent out space on their land to venders who sell fabulous junk to antiques. By tommorrow the field will be filled with vendors and shoppers.
Setting up started a couple of days ago and early shoppers started prowling.
By Thursday (first offical day of the sale) you won't be able to see the grass.
As you shop you can't help but chitchat with other shoppers and I met a couple of ladies from Mississippi a few years ago who plan a vacation every year to follow the route from north to south for several days. They book motels every 50 miles and move down the road with an empty van that is usually full by the time they reach Alabama and head home. They didn't say but I suspect they are buyers for a second hand or antique shop. 
Parks, businesses with a acre or so of land, farmers with large yards and fallow fields use yellow tape or spray paint to partition their property for vendor spaces. 
Many of the sellers come from bordering states or nearby towns, some folks are hardy garage sellers who buy all year and then come to their favorite spot along Hwy. 127 to haggle and sell their bounty, Many business folk move some of their business along the route and find new and loyal customers.
I am not immune to the lure of a good deal and bought two Butterfly Bushes for $5 each.
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They are happily now part of our lives.
If you have the HGTV channel on your TV you may have seen the program they did as they followed two shopper down this magic highway. It usually gets repeated at least once a year. It is a festive route, massive but mostly polite traffic. Always careless accidents are reported along the way. If you are a patient and hardy shopper this is the Highway for you.
3 comments:
That sounds like it would be heaven for my husband! He loves what are called car boot sales here - very very similar to yours except its just a car or van and a table, plus floor (ground) space. I don't think people are allowed to put up gazebos (shelters), mainly no room, but most keep large sheets of plastic to protect their stuff when it rains!!
But then the stuff that is sold isn't as big as that in your picture. But it really sounds a fun time, and there must be some real bargains somewhere along that 600 mile stretch!
600 miles, really?? You do do things the big way in the US, son't you??
Gilly,
I think it started out to be just a town event that just got farther away in both directions as people enjoyed advertizing their towns special occasion and bringing in more venders and shoppers. Other towns nearby got in on the opportunity and it just spread up and down the road. And of course you are right Americans always seen to like bigger and better. At least what they hope is better. I would never travel the whole route like some do, but we do enjoy taking in a few miles of fun and eating at one of the food venders who also show up to feed the crowds.
My daughter and I have wanted to travel part of this "Sale, but life just gets in the way, (twins/2yrs and one 3yrs). I guess I will have to make other arrangements for awhile if I want to see it before I get to old. HA
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