Highway 27 yard sale this weekend

Looking to clean out the clutter this summer? The U.S. Highway 27 yard sale kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday, Aug. 4.

The annual event began in Northwest Georgia in the late 1990s as an alternate route for lost tourists from another yard sale — the U.S. Highway 127/World’s Longest Yard Sale, which has a very similar route part of the way.

The Highway 27 event now brings in its own tourists and has expanded past the original route.

The yard sale serves as an opportunity for those living near the highway to clean out the clutter and turn it into cash by offering their used items, antiques or handmade crafts for sale.

There currently isn’t a fee to participate, though that also may vary per community. Anyone can participate as a seller, but checking with local entities to ensure compliance with laws and regulations is recommended, especially if selling food items.

At nearly 1,400 miles long, U.S. Route 27 runs nearly the entire vertical length of the country from U.S. 1 in Miami, Florida, up through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio, ending in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Through the state of Georgia, 27 is designated as Martha Berry Highway, extending from just below Chattanooga, Tennessee down to the state line just north of Havana, Florida. Locally, it crosses through at least a portion of Catoosa, Walker, Chattooga, Floyd, Polk, Haralson and Carroll counties.

The event, as a whole, is loosely organized each year, with any local organized efforts being the responsibility of each individual community. Yard sale participation can be sporadic and spread out, or a lot more involved, depending on the area.