Shoppers browse antiques, homemade goods and household items Saturday during the 28th annual Antique Alley yard sale. Photo by Angela H. Cutrer

Keen-eyed shoppers had a whopper of an event last weekend with the East Mississippi and West Alabama Highway 11 Antique Alley Longest Yard Sale event held May 15-18. Down the line drivers passed many an erected temporary tent dotting a route that stretched from Meridian to Bristol, Virginia, during the 28th annual event.

Shoppers picked through yard sales offering household items, homemade products and, of course, antiques of every kind. One couple was seen carrying an unusual heavy load to their truck as the wife grasped the old-fashioned long handles of an ancient plow while the husband shouldered the heavy end. Off they went up an incline up to Highway 11, their prize admired by the others still looking for that perfect discovery.

 

The annual sale spans 500 miles through historic and downtown communities of five different states. The city of Meridian noted that thousands of vendors participate in welcoming more than 30,000 attendees. The sale began back in 1997, with the East Mississippi area joining four years later.