U.S. Highway 411 Yard Sale starts Wednesday

Leeds, Al.
An annual event since 2003, the U.S. Highway 411 Yard Sale is scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday. The sale will stretch from Leeds to Newport, Tenn., near Knoxville.

Alyssa Gargus, 8, looks through toys Sept. 29, 2010

“Most of the sale’s vendors will have their sites open from early morning until dark each day,” noted Ray Tinsley, who, along with the late Carolyn Turner, was an early promoter of the event. “Vendors will include individuals, families, businesses and various organizations.”
The sale’s merchandise will include antiques, arts and crafts, household furnishings, clothing, tools, books and “anything the vendors have to sell.”
Tinsley encourages residents and visitors to take advantage of the sale.
“People can ride and see the leaves turning — and better yet, this yard sale is at a cooler time of the year than the other big yard sales,” he said. “And we’ve never been rained out.”
Tinsley said the 411 sale always begins the last Wednesday in September before the first Saturday in October.
“When we began promoting the sale, Carolyn and I visited all of the Chambers of Commerce from Leeds to Newport to ask for their promotion and support,” he said.
“We also stopped at every antique and flea market and yard sale to ask them to participate. We passed out many, many flyers to promote the sale.”