Stoddard County, Missouri – Bargain hunters are ready for the 100-mile Yard Sale!  This is the 16^th year for the annual event.  The Memorial Day Weekend tradition stretches from Jackson to Kennett along Highway 25.  Yard sales, garage sales, back-of-pickup truck sale will be in towns throughout southeast Missouri.

Along the way shoppers will find bargains and vendors selling all types of food.

Fifteen years ago, Ellen Lowe was traveling to trade shows and flea markets across the country and had a brilliant idea of having a yard sale that ran along Highway 25.  She invited dealers to come and began marketing it herself.  Soon local chambers of commerce such as Dexter realized the potential and the effect it would have on the local economy

"It's a fun weekend that people look forward to each year," says Traffic Engineer Craig Compas, "but we want people to remember that there's more traffic and more congestion along Route 25 this weekend than any other and drivers need to keep that in mind."

MoDOT will do its part to bring the safety message to the forefront. Message boards will be in place along the route to alert drivers of the unusual traffic patterns and promote safe driving.

"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 says. "It's a big event locally, and we want everyone to enjoy themselves and be as safe as possible."

For more information, contact Compas at (573) 472-5310 or call MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636).

The sale begins in earnest on Friday, with folks checking out the bargains throughout the holiday weekend. It’s highly recommended that buyers bring cash, since many “yard sale merchants” will not accept personal checks or credit and debit cards.

As the old saying goes, “One Mans Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure!”

We hope everyone finds something at the 100 Mile Yard Sale and have a safe and fun weekend.