Shoppers, travelers, antique dealers and bargain hunters, get ready! The World’s Longest Yard Sale is set to kick off through multiple states from north to south next week as the U.S. 127 Outdoor Corridor Yard Sale officially kicks off Thursday, August 6 with a four day run through Sunday, August 10.

The event has become over the years a buyer’s and seller’s “mid-summer madness,” which is held between the July 4th and early September Labor Day holidays–always on the first full weekend of August.

Drawing thousands of travelers from across the country and even abroad, and having been highlighted on national television programs, the U.S. 127 Sale is probably not only the longest in length but most popular “yard sale” in the United States and Kentucky and Clinton County is almost directly in the middle of the trek, which runs from Michigan to the north to Alabama to the south.

Even though the official opening day of the four-day event isn’t until next Thursday, locals and travelers can expect to see family and/or roadside sale stands begin setting up early in the week, with many locations in full swing at least a day or two ahead of the official start day.

The sale, now in its 28th year, is headquartered in nearby Jamestown, Tennessee through its Chamber of Commerce and covers some 690 miles, from Addison, Michigan to the north, to Gadsden, Alabama to the south.

The original intent of the sale was to prove the back roads also have something to offer and that the interstate system was not the only mode of travel.

County officials in Kentucky and Tennessee last year put together an array of over 300 attractions along the route to provide enjoyment for the entire family.

The Lookout Mountain Parkway Association asked to be included in the sale route a few years ago after the sale began. The Parkway leaves Chattanooga at Highway 58 and becomes several different highway numbers before reaching the final stop of Gadsden.

It is no longer just 127 but is the same great sale. The new routing crosses the Northwest corner of Georgia, going into Cloudland. This added another 100 miles to the already existing 350 mile route, making it 450 miles at that time, which in turn made it the “World’s Longest Yard Sale.”

The Chamber of Commerce in Jamestown has been the sale’s headquarters since 1995.

Fentress County also claims to be the origin of the sale, as then County Executive Mike Walker came up with the idea in 1987.

Although sale numbers–both buyers and sellers–seemed to be down somewhat for the 2014 sale, especially here in the local area, due somewhat to sporadic weather, thousands of people are again expected to travel through Albany and Clinton County looking for bargains on anything from baseball cards to vehicles and every item in between.

Albany and Clinton County has a host of both vendors and shoppers with one of the most popular being Mountain View Park, which has been effected only minimally since the actual “127” bypass was constructed to the west of the old 127 route.

The park is always crowded and vendor space is still available for next week’s sale, according to Park Director Bobby Reneau, who noted there is still a lot of space for food vendors and said the park was a great location for people selling food to shoppers and vendors alike.

Anyone interested in renting a space at the park, be it a regular sale booth or food booth, can contact Reneau at 606-688-4337.

Vendors also set up in front of the old Ford Garage on Ky. Highway 90, which now serves as a ‘link’ to the Hwy. 127 bypass.

Another popular location that has several vendors is the lot just north of Albany behind the Clinton County IDA-Welcome Center and Dollar Giant. However, travelers will find booths and vendors set up all across the city and in downtown Albany throughout the four-day sale.

Johnny McLerran, a regular vendor from nearby Celina, Tennessee, said recently he had been coming and setting up at the same location for 14 years. He said he had met people from all over the U.S. and some from outside the continental states.

Many people plan their vacations around the sale and travel the entire 690-mile route.

Some cities plan special events in their communities during the sale giving travelers even more things to choose from.

The sale is also a boon to local economics in every city and county across the sale route, as the visitors and vendors spend money locally, especially on lodging, restaurants and stores.

During the sale, there is always a heavy amount of out-of-town traffic and local citizens are asked to be aware that they may not know the local roadways that well, so be courteous, watch for slow or stopped traffic, slow down and have a safe and fun yard sale weekend.

For more information about the annual 127 Corridor Sale, log on to www.127sale.com.