400-Mile Sale facts for kids
The 400-Mile Sale is a huge outdoor sale in Kentucky, USA. People also call it the Highway 68 Yard Sale. It happens every year for four days, starting on the first weekend of June. This big sale stretches along U.S. Route 68 (US 68). You can find sales from Paducah in the west all the way to Maysville in the east. It's a great chance to find second-hand treasures!
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History of the Sale
The 400-Mile Sale began in 2004. It was started by Debbie Spencer. Her main goal was to show people the cool antique and unique shops along the US 68 route.
Leadership of the event changed over time. Judy Spencer took over in 2019. Then, Tara Hall became the Director in March 2022. The sale has happened every year since it started. In 2020, the sale was moved to October 2–4 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local counties along the route help pay for the sale. Many tourism groups and chambers of commerce support it. For example, in 2022, groups from Marshall County, Trigg County, Hopkinsville, and more helped out. In 2023, a business called Perryville Outlet Furniture became the first business sponsor for the sales in Perryville.
Finding Your Treasures
Your Treasure Map: 400mile.com
In 2022, the official website, 400mile.com, got a new look. It now has a cool "Map My Route" feature. Sellers can register their sales on the website. Then, you can see exactly where each sale is on the map. This map helps you plan your trip. You can even sort the map to see sales by day, by region, or by what kinds of items are being sold. It's like having a treasure map for all the yard sales!
Areas Not Part of the Sale
Not every part of US 68 is included in the sale. There's a 10-mile (16 km) section in Trigg County that's left out. This area is called the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. It's government land, so they don't host yard sales there.
Another part of the route that's skipped is a 20-mile (32 km) stretch in Metropolitan Lexington and Fayette County. This area has a lot of traffic. Downtown Lexington, especially, can get very crowded. Because of the heavy traffic, it's not safe or practical to have yard sales there.
Other Fun Events Nearby
Sometimes, other events happen at the same time as the 400-Mile Sale. The town of Smiths Grove in eastern Warren County often has its own town-wide yard sale. This sale is usually just off US 68.
Elkton, the main town in Todd County, also has many yard sales. These sales might be on other streets, but they are part of the excitement. The Glasgow Highland Games also often take place during the same weekend. This event is a bit south of US 68, at Barren River Lake State Resort Park.
The 400-Mile Sale on TV
The 400-Mile Sale has even been on television! In southern Kentucky, the local TV station WBKO in Bowling Green often talks about the event. Their studio is right on the yard sale route.
In June 2015, the sale became famous across the country. It was shown on two different cable TV shows in the same week. One show was Endless Yard Sale on Great American Country. This show was a competition where teams looked for old and unique items.
The other show was Small Town Big Deal. This show tells stories about small towns. Both shows filmed at different yard sale spots. They visited places from Cadiz to Bowling Green and all the way to Maysville. This helped many more people learn about the big sale.
See also
- 127 Corridor Sale, the world's longest yard sale along US 127
- Roller Coaster Fair, held in October along KY 63 and KY 90
- U.S. Route 68
