Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The “100 Mile Yard Sale” will return Saturday, July 3, beginning at 7 a.m.

While the 12-year old event is held every year on the first Saturday in July, the COVID-19 pandemic caused its cancellation last summer. But with shoppers eager to find deals, sellers cleaning out their attics and new communities joining the route, organizers predict this year’s event will be one of the biggest and best ever.

The yard sale route crisscrosses Southside Virginia, passing through Amelia, Charlotte, Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties, bringing in visitors from across Virginia, the southeastern United States and beyond. Local gas stations and eateries have described the yard sale day as one of, if not the single biggest boost to business each year.

Recognizing the economic benefit, Crewe, Burkeville and Amelia Court House have become hubs of activity over the years, with vendors setting up in parking lots and fields up and down Highways 360 and 460. But event organizers are quick to point out that new towns like Drakes Branch and Blackstone have caught the yard sale bug and are actively promoting the event. In Drakes Branch, local officials are opening the Farmer’s Market pavilion for sellers; while the Town of Blackstone has waived yard sale fees and opened the Town Square for yard sale use that weekend.

Organizers encourage communities, shoppers and vendors to make the most of this occasion through pre-event planning. The website, va100mileyardsale.com lists the route, known sale locations and safety tips for both shoppers and vendors. Visitors can join the mailing list, submit their own sales and even print out a safety sign to post on the back of their car warning drivers behind them not to follow too close as they follow the yard sale route. Up-to-date information is also available on the Facebook page, facebook. com/va100mileyardsale.