Pigeon Forge is the place to be this weekend. Thousands of cars line the Parkway some for show and others for sale. Over the course of several decades, the Rod Run has continued to grow.
“I think just the sheer volume of people that we have come through Pigeon Forge during the car shows has grown significantly throughout the years,” said Assistant City Manager Eric Brackins. “The car show takes up the right of way parking along the Parkway.”
“The prices on cars went really high,” said attendee Barry Mitchell. “The police are a little more strict than they used to be. And, of course, everything went up. Other than, it’s still a great time.”
Brackins estimates between 100,000-150,000 people will attend this weekend’s Rod Run. With the influx of people to the community, an economic boom is expected making hotel rooms in the area hard to come by.
“The different lodging options that we have benefit from that, as well as our restaurants and different businesses up and down the Parkway,” Brackins said.
As the Rod Run continues to evolve as the years roll on, one major change is coming soon: no car sales on the side of the road.
“The current lease that we have in place is changing. We have a new sublease agreement for the businesses that has been approved by TDOT,” Brackins said. “The new sublease will take out a clause for sale of vehicles in the subleased area.”
There is, however, one thing that keeps people coming back.
“The hot rods, the cars and the people. I love the people. There’s a lot of nice folks up here,” Mitchell said. “I’ve met people from all over the country and made a of good friends here since ’06 that I still talk to even when I go home.”
Several people along the Parkway shared the same sentiment when asked how the show has changed over the years, all saying ‘it’s not like it used to be.’ One person said the “wheeling and dealing of parts and cars has become nearly impossible because of high prices. Another adding, it seems most people are here to window shop and just look at the cool cars on display.
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