WYTHEVILLE, Va. – Thousands are making their way across US Highway 21 for the annual 100-Mile Road Market from Harmony, North Carolina to Wytheville, Virginia.
I started my day at a local church off the highway. The folks there said they have done this for a few years, and every year it is a great way to raise extra money for the church.
“It is a lot of work but it is a lot of fun,” said Linda Brinkley, a vendor for Galilee Church. “We meet a lot of people from different states [who] come through here.”
I then made my way down the road to a side street lined with vendors. There I talked to a man from Tennessee who came here for the road market.
“This is the prize of the day right here,” said Frank Tizer as he showed me an art piece he bought. “This here is a Bradford Exchange piece. $10, I mean that’s a beauty right there.”
I then met another man who traveled from Indiana. He said he travels throughout the United States to hit these markets.
“We go to Michigan to one up there,” he said. “They have one on [US] Highway 12 and then they have one on [US Highway] 38. We just go to the highway garage sales. It’s our first year on this one.”
For the folks who live on the highway, they also say they look forward to this weekend every year. Nancy Skeens – vendor
“I like to meet the people, there are some really nice people,” said Nancy Skeens, a vendor at the market. “They come from North Carolina, West Virginia, different places.”
“We’ve been doing it for 9 years now, so we have a lot of people that come back every year,” said Missy Irvin, another vendor. “We’ve got customers from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, so they come from everywhere.”
The 100-Mile Road Market runs from Friday to Sunday