Roller Coaster Yard Sale facts for kids
The Roller Coaster Yard Sale, also sometimes called the Roller Coaster Fair, is a huge outdoor sale that happens once a year. It's like a giant treasure hunt! For three days, starting on the first Thursday in October, people set up sales along many roads in southern Kentucky and northern middle Tennessee. You can find all sorts of second-hand items, from toys to furniture, spread out over many miles.
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What is the Roller Coaster Yard Sale?
This amazing event was started in 1986 by a woman named Sarah Ann Bowers. She wanted to show how busy and beautiful the Cordell Hull Highway was. This highway includes Kentucky Routes 63 and 90 in Barren County.
The idea grew very quickly! By 2001, more than 140,000 people traveled from far away just to visit the yard sales along these special roads. Imagine that many people looking for bargains!
How the Sale Grew
In 2002, the yard sale routes got even bigger. They added Kentucky Route 163 south of Tompkinsville. They also included SR 51, SR 52, and SR 111 in parts of Clay, Overton, and Pickett counties in Middle Tennessee.
Soon after, even more roads were added. These included US 127 in Clinton County, Kentucky and Kentucky Route 90 from Clinton County through Burkesville to Glasgow and Cave City, Kentucky. This made the event go completely around the beautiful Dale Hollow Lake area.
Today, the entire route for this giant yard sale is about 159 miles (256 kilometers) long! It covers five counties in Kentucky and three counties in Tennessee.
Where to Find the Roller Coaster Fair
The Roller Coaster Fair takes place at many different booths and sales along these roads:
Roads in South-Central Kentucky (Part 1)
- KY 63 (which is a recognized Kentucky Scenic Byway) from Glasgow, Barren County to Tompkinsville, Monroe County.
- KY 163 from downtown Tompkinsville to Hestand and then to the Tennessee State line.
Roads in Middle Tennessee
- Tennessee State Route 51 (SR 51) along its entire route south from the Kentucky state line to Moss, Clay County.
- Tennessee State Route 52 (SR 52) from Moss to Celina and then to Livingston (Overton County).
- Tennessee State Route 111 (SR 111, which used to be SR 42) from Livingston, through Byrdstown, Pickett County, to the US 127 Junction at the Tennessee-Kentucky border near Static, Kentucky and Tennessee|Static.
Roads in South-Central Kentucky (Part 2)
- US 127 in Clinton County from Static, through Albany, to the small community of Snow.
- KY 90 from Snow through Burkesville (Cumberland County) and Marrowbone, to Summer Shade (Metcalfe County). It then goes back through Glasgow, to its end point where it meets KY 70 and Interstate 65 (I-65) at Cave City, Kentucky. This spot is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) short of Mammoth Cave National Park.
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