Aug 21, 2020 3 min read

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

Individuals and organizations all along the 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 Sunday with a multitude of clearances.

The sale, which is taking place across Route 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.

Couch said that after the pandemic exploded she and Tauber considered canceling the 2020 sale. However, after speaking with numerous vendors who expressed their desire to see the sale continue, they 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.”

Couch said the event started 17 years ago with two gentlemen from Cambridge City, Ind., who wanted to hold a simple yard sale. Over the years, it blossomed into a major affair, with the event’s main goal eventually becoming to celebrate the history of Route 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 because of COVID-19, but judging by the responses on the sale’s Facebook page those concerns were not warranted.

“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 mitigation guidelines and are to be receiving reports vendors and patrons are wearing masks, and maintaining social distancing practices.

Tauber, whose great-great-grandparents settled along U.S. 40 in 1824, said she and Couch have begun working on plans for the 2021 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.”