Miles of deals: Highway 61 Yard Sale begins today

The Highway 61 Yard Sale has quickly become part of the Labor Day weekend tradition for many people.

The yard sale begins today and runs through Saturday.

Organizers of the Highway 61 Yard Sale were inspired by the 100-Mile Yard Sale, which runs in May along Highway 25 from Kennett, Missouri, to Jackson. Much like the 100-Mile Yard Sale, the Highway 61 Yard Sale continues to grow.

When it first began about 10 years ago, the Highway 61 event started in Fruitland and came to a stop at Bloomsdale, Missouri. Since then, the official starting point to the south has been extended to High Street in Jackson and participation has flowed beyond Bloomsdale to the north.

Shoppers visiting the many booths along the route are not just locals. Vendors have sold their goods to customers visiting from the Bootheel and coming from areas as far west as Sedalia, Missouri, and beyond.

Glasses line a table at a booth Wednesday in Fruitland for the Highway 61 Yard Sale. (Glenn Landberg)

While the expanding word-of-mouth of the yard sale and its growing popularity is a plus for the local vendors and cities along the route, it also can create traffic concerns.

"It's a fun weekend that people look forward to each year, but we want people to remember that there's more traffic and more congestion along Route 61 this weekend than any other and drivers need to keep that in mind," said Craig Compas, a traffic engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Throughout the weekend, MoDOT makes an extra effort to warn motorists of the yard sale ahead and the possibility of shoppers darting back and forth from their vehicles. Message boards promoting safe driving will be in place along the U.S. 61 route.

"We really want drivers to be alert -- to be aware of their surroundings, to be aware of sudden stops and to look for pedestrian traffic," Compas said.

While the temperature this weekend could be off-putting to some shoppers -- the National Weather Service is predicting highs in the low 90s through Saturday -- there are plenty of other factors that may encourage them to make the trip.

Charles Fadler finishes setting up at his Fruitland home Wednesday for the Highway 61 Yard Sale. (Glenn Landberg)

AAA says most drivers should pay the lowest gas prices for Labor Day weekend since 2004. The current average price of $2.47 per gallon marks a savings of 18 cents a gallon compared to a month ago and 96 cents per gallon less than a year ago.

Thanks in part to lower fuel prices, AAA expects 35.5 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more this holiday weekend. This marks the highest Labor Day holiday travel volume since 2008, according to the travel report.

More information about the Highway 61 Yard Sale is available at 61yardsale.com. Opening and closing times for each table are determined by the vendor, although organizers expect most will begin selling about 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Jackson, Mo.

Bloomsdale, Mo.