Picture your neighborhood garage sale. Now multiply that by 1,000.

That’s the 100 Mile Garage Sale, which stretches across 22 towns in Minnesota and Wisconsin along Lake Pepin.

While the jury’s still out on whether it’s actually the largest garage sale in the world — a yard sale in Alabama claims to be the longest — the event typically features thousands of sales, says Larry Nielsen, president of Mississippi Valley Partners, which sponsors the 100-mile sale.

This year’s event runs this weekend, May 3 through May 6.

Already on Wednesday, people were gearing up for the sale.

"Of course the professional garage-salers, as we call them, they get here early and try to get the best deals," Nielsen said. "There will be a lot of people that make the whole round, and see everything they can see."

He says the sale has been around for nearly 20 years. It was initially conceived as a way to kick off the tourism season in the area, known for its scenic bluffs that line the lake along the Mississippi River.

The sale started small, but has grown into a massive event since then, stretching from Hastings, Minnesota, to Fountain City, Wisconsin.

Out-of-towners check into area hotels for the weekend. Some homes stockpile items all year in preparation for the garage sale, displaying it in tents throughout their yard.

Every year’s a little different. And like any garage sale, you never really know what you’ll find.

The event website features listings of more than 100 sales, advertising fishing gear, tools, clothing, car tires, antiques and appliances, among other things.

But you don’t have to use the listing to find a sale, you’ll likely bump into one without even trying.

"There’s some blocks where there’ll be three or four blocks long in some towns, and everybody on both sides of the street will be selling stuff," Nielsen said.

Despite how big the event has gotten, Nielsen said it still feels like your average neighborhood garage sale, and that’s the fun part.

"When you come over here you’re going to find a bunch of friendly people, a bunch of people having garage sales that wanna help you out, that wanna point you in the right direction," he said.