Popular car show was canceled due to COVID-19. Hundreds showed up in Tennessee anyway
The annual Spring Rod Run car show was canceled due to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop hundreds from showing up in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
The 38th edition of the car show was originally scheduled for April 16-18 at the LeConte Center, but the pandemic forced officials to postpone the show until June 11-13 before it was canceled altogether, ABC 6 reported.
That’s when a Facebook group jumped in.
The group, which has nearly 8,000 members, was created in support of those who still wanted to attend the show.
“COVID-19 is the cause of the spring rod run being canceled,” the group post said. “But let’s all go anyway. We as car enthusiasts don’t need a car show. We are tired of being postponed and having to reschedule. Whose all going anyway?!”
After members of the Facebook group gave the green light, hundreds of car enthusiasts showed up.
“We’ve got a lot of cars out here,” Wesley Garland said to WVLT 8. “We come up here all the time, every show. I put mine up for sale a lot of times, and we just enjoy getting out with the cars.”
Travis Ford told ABC that he came from Kingsport, Tennessee, to sell his cars.
“Actually, I bring four or five down with me to sell or trade and socialize, meet all the people that’s from all over the states to come and visit and bring their cars,” Ford said.
Gary Hamilton, one of the spectators, said that it was what the community needed.
“The businesses need it and the people need it. It’s time to go.” Hamilton said to ABC.
The event is expected to last until Sunday.
This story was originally published June 13, 2020 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Popular car show was canceled due to COVID-19. Hundreds showed up in Tennessee anyway."