We're still two weeks away from the official start of this year's U.S. 127 Corridor Sale, but several yard sales are already being set up in advance to take advantage of the weeks leading up to the big weekend August 6th through 9th.

This year's "World's Longest Yard Sale" marks the 22nd year the event has been held and now has a total distance of 654 miles.

The 127 corridor spans five states from Defiance, Ohio, near the Michigan border, through Kentucky, Tennessee and part of Georgia to Gadsden, Ala., directly through Russell Springs, Jamestown and the Lake Cumberland area.

And with last year's sale hindered by high gas prices, sale vendors are hoping the lower prices this year will lead to more money in their pockets from prospective patrons.

The portion of U.S. 127 that runs through the Lake Cumberland area is roughly the midpoint of the sale and with beautiful scenery, the lake and other recreational opportunities along the way, Russell County is a must-visit location for many "yard salers."

Organizers say thousands of people participate in the sale each year as vendors and the people traveling through the areas give a boost to the local economy as people visit local businesses and restaurants.

With the big sale, traffic problems are commonplace, but organizers say the positive outweigh the negative as local economies thrive due to the visitors.

Walk-in business at local motels and the state park is likely to climb in the next couple of weeks as travelers stop in to shop for a day or two.

Organizers say the four day sale always begins on the first Thursday in August, making August 6-9 the official weekend of this year's sale.

The original intent of the sale was to prove the back roads still have something to offer, and that the interstate system was not the only mode for travel, organizers said.

For more information regarding the annual U.S. 127 Corridor Sale, visit the official Web site at www.127sale.com