Aug 20, 2020 5 min read

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Spanning across four states and covering 824 total miles, the massive 17th annual Historic National Road Yard Sale is being held now through Sunday, Aug. 23, from dawn to dusk each day, along the National Road U.S. 40, including through parts of Fayette County.

An untold number of vendors along the national road are selling a wide array of items for patrons to buy, from antiques, collectibles and furniture to glassware, fresh garden produce and much more.

Friday and Saturday are expected to be the busiest days of the sale, as vendors will offer huge community sales, while the annual event will conclude on Sunday with a multitude of clearance sales.

The sale, which is taking place across U.S. 40 in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, is typically held each year during the weekend following Memorial Day. However, COVID-19 forced event coordinators Donna Tauber and Kim Couch, both of Indiana, to adjust plans for this year’s sale.

Couch, who has been involved with the event for nearly a decade, said that after the pandemic exploded she and Tauber, who has been involved with the event since its humble beginnings, considered canceling the 2020 sale. However, after speaking with numerous vendors who expressed their desire to see the sale continue, it was decided to postpone the event until August.

“This sale is a really big money maker for many people, and we sympathized with their requests to continue the event,” Couch said.

“People are laid off because of the pandemic, and they rely on this sale to make money,” Tauber said. “It is a very critical time for a lot of folks, so it was important to us that we make this year’s sale happen.”

Both women said people travel from all across the nation to attend the Historic National Road Yard Sale, and the responses from vendors on social media wishing to see the sale be held was overwhelming.

Couch said the event started 17 years ago by two gentlemen from Cambridge City in Indiana who wanted to hold a simple yard sale, and over the years it has blossomed into a major affair, with the event’s main goal eventually becoming to celebrate the history of U.S. 40.

“After a while, the annual sale started receiving media attention, and now it’s become this huge deal,” Couch said.

Tauber said there was some initial concern that vendors and patrons would not participate as heavily as in years past due to COVID-19, but judging by the responses on the sale’s Facebook page those concerns were not warranted.

“Our page currently has 20,000 participants and 30,000 followers, so it’s obvious that the interest and excitement for the event is there,” she said.

Social media has been a tremendously valuable tool for the event, as vendors have been posting photos of their set-ups and sharing success stories every day.

“Before social media we had to rely solely on word-of-mouth to get information out there, but social media has helped us get information spread faster and more efficiently,” Tauber said. “Between Facebook and the support from tourism agencies, Main Street programs and Chambers of Commerce, we have many wonderful avenues we can use to get the word out about this special event.”

Both women said vendors and patrons strongly expressed their feelings that the sale needed to be held this year.

“I believe that everyone who sets up and attends feels that participating in the sale this year is giving them some sense of normalcy during these uncertain times,” Couch said. “It’s non-profits, churches, fire departments, restaurants, craft stores, even Amish community members, all wanting to be a part of this, to feel normal. It’s wonderful.”

“So many people told us they want to be outside, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, doing something ‘normal’ and helping promote small businesses in their communities,” said Tauber, a 24-year member of the Indiana National Road Association.

Tauber and Couch said they have been encouraging people to adhere to their respective state’s guidelines regarding COVID-19 and are pleased to be receiving reports that vendors and patrons are wearing masks, protecting themselves and maintaining social distancing practices.

Tauber, whose great-great-grandparents settled on U.S. 40 in 1824, said she and Couch have already begun working on plans for the 2021 Historic National Road Yard Sale, which is tentatively scheduled for June 2-6.

“This event just seems to be getting bigger and better every year, and that couldn’t make us happier,” she said. “It’s so much more than just a big yard sale. It’s about promoting businesses, tourism, landmarks and communities along this historic road. It’s a giant, special community event that brings so many people together.

“The success and future of this event is 100 percent contingent on committed and dedicated volunteers, and also on people’s participation,” she concluded. “We thank every single person who has helped make this annual event a huge success, who has helped make sure it not only survives but thrives. The Historic National Road Yard Sale along U.S. 40 would not be possible without them.”