100-mile yard sale expected to attract thousands

Ladies and gentlemen, get your haggling pants on.

But if you don't have haggling pants, don't sweat it. You'll surely be able to find a pair at the 100-Mile Yard Sale this weekend.

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, vendors of all stripes will line up along Highway 25 between Jackson and Kennett, Missouri, for the 16th annual Memorial Day event. A hundred miles might sound like a long stretch to fill, but Julie Combs has been preparing the New McKendree United Methodist Church's station in Jackson "like crazy" all week and says she's always impressed with the turnout.

"It's really something. There's thousands of vendors," Combs said. "Just every little spot in the road has got somebody set up and selling all kinds of stuff."

For the thousands of expected sweater-seekers, rare-antiquers and other connoisseurs of bric-a-brac, the affair is a dream come true. Ellen Lowe of Bloomfield, Missouri, started the yard sale in 1998 after seeing a similar event that sprawled across five states.

Dawn Detring sorts through items at New McKendree United Methodist Church on Tuesday for this weekend’s 100-Mile Yard Sale in Jackson. (Fred Lynch)

"We only ever made it from Iowa to Kentucky," she said. "So we measured out the distance from Kennett to Jackson and thought it would work. It was technically 97 miles, but my daughter said that didn't sound as good, so we decided to cheat a little."

Lowe has been thrilled at how the event has grown and explained that part of the reason it remains popular is because it never disappoints.

"We have everything from A to Z," she said, "If you've never been, you need to come."

Combs said she knows people who plan their Memorial Day vacations around the sale and that her location alone is selling clothing for all ages, toys, shoes, bicycles, sewing machines, knickknacks, home goods -- "you name it."

The chambers of commerce in the six towns along the route loosely coordinate the event, but over the years it has become a self-driven phenomenon. Executive director of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce Brian Gerau said he is always impressed by the turnout.

"It's a popular thing," he said. "It's been going on for as long as I can remember."

It's so popular that the Missouri Department of Transportation has decided to provide extra safety measures to deal with the inevitable crowds and traffic.

"People will be stopping and looking and probably even walking around near the road, so we just want people to be safe while they're out there," traffic engineer Craig Compas said. "It's a fun weekend that people look forward to every year, but we want them to remember that there's more traffic."

MoDOT will place flashing message boards along the route reminding travelers to be aware of pedestrians and traffic. Lowe said all the organizers welcome the help.

"I got to brag on MoDOT," she said. "They mow the sides of the road beforehand and put out signs that say "slow down," and we sure do appreciate it. And so far, I don't think there have been any real bad accidents yet."

Corporal Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said that although people may park on the side of the road, patrons should be careful not to obstruct the highway or park on private property without permission. The highway patrol also will be out making sure shoppers observe speed limits and traffic laws around the busiest junctures.

"The biggest thing we want people to understand is the need to slow down in the congested areas," he said. "We also need them to also be on the lookout for people darting out in front of them."

With permission from property owners, most municipalities along the route do not require vendors to buy yard sale licenses for this weekend's event. Residents of Kennett, however, are required to obtain them. The licenses can be bought at city hall for $5 a day.

Whether you're after an antique end-table or the complete third season of "Seinfeld," with 100 miles to peruse, you're sure to find that perfect knickknack you don't really need but simply can't live without.

tgraef@semissourian.com

Pertinent address:

Highway 25 from Jackson to Kennett