The Sept. 25–27 event stretches across more than 35 Central Nebraska communities. There is no required starting point, and individual sales set their own hours.
By Hola Nebraska
NEBRASKA — Nebraska’s Junk Jaunt 2026 returns Friday through Sunday, Sept. 25–27, with nearly 500 miles of garage sales, antiques, collectibles and vendors spread across more than 35 Central Nebraska communities.
The route does not have one official starting point. Shoppers can join from whichever community is most convenient and build a route around the time they have and the sales they want to visit.
Nebraska Highways 2, 11 and 91 form major parts of the route. The event also follows areas along the Sandhills Journey Byway and Loup Rivers Scenic Byway.
Junk Jaunt stretches nearly 500 miles across Central Nebraska
Nebraska’s Junk Jaunt covers a broad rural section of the state. The route connects cities and small towns through state highways, scenic byways and local roads leading to individual sales and multi-vendor locations.
Communities along the route include Grand Island, Cairo, Ravenna, Broken Bow, Thedford, Burwell, Ord, St. Paul, Loup City, Arcadia, Sargent, Arnold and Callaway.
The event also reaches communities including Dannebrog, North Loup, Scotia, Greeley, Wolbach, Bartlett, Ericson, Dunning, Taylor, Halsey, Merna and Ansley.
| Route area | Some communities along the way |
|---|---|
| Highway 2 | Grand Island, Cairo, Ravenna, Broken Bow, Dunning, Halsey, Thedford |
| Highway 11 | Wood River, Cairo, Dannebrog, North Loup, Ord, Burwell |
| Highway 91 | Burwell, Ericson, Taylor, Dunning, Brewster |
| Inside the loop | Arcadia, Ashton, Boelus, Comstock, Loup City, Rockville, Sargent |
| East and west of the loop | St. Paul, Greeley, Wolbach, Bartlett, Arnold, Callaway |
Shoppers can start the Junk Jaunt route in any community
Junk Jaunt works differently from a festival held at one central site. Visitors can begin in any participating community, travel only part of the route or spend all three days exploring the event.
The official Nebraska’s Junk Jaunt map shows the route and participating communities.
Some towns also offer locations where several vendors gather in one place. Those sites can include community centers, parks, fairgrounds and other local spaces.
Related: AppleJack Festival 2026 starts Friday: parade, carnival, schedule and prices
Individual sales set their own hours throughout the weekend
There is no single opening and closing time for every sale. Vendors decide when they will operate Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Organizers encourage sales to operate for roughly 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or later during the three-day event, but individual locations may open later or close earlier.
As a result, two sales in the same community may have different operating hours.
The 2026 Shopper Guide includes maps and registered vendors
The 2026 Junk Jaunt Shopper Guide includes addresses for registered vendors, community maps and descriptions of items available at many sales.
A digital version is available for immediate download. Printed copies are also available at selected businesses along the route while supplies last.
The guide organizes sales by community and assigns vendor numbers that correspond with local maps. It also includes places to eat, lodging options and other services along the route.
Current information about the guide and available formats can be found on the official Nebraska’s Junk Jaunt website.
Junk Jaunt runs Friday through Sunday, Sept. 25–27
The 2026 Junk Jaunt will take place during the last full weekend of September: Friday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 26; and Sunday, Sept. 27.
Hours, vendor counts and sale locations will vary from town to town. Specific hours for registered vendors are listed in the Shopper Guide.
Nebraska’s Junk Jaunt maintains its office in Ord and lists 308-346-5151 for general event information.
The 2026 event concludes Sunday, Sept. 27, throughout participating Central Nebraska communities.
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