PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — The Pigeon Forge Rod Run show officially kicked off on Thursday, bringing thousands of car enthusiasts to East Tennessee.
Many attendees at the event said they grew up going to Rod Run. This year included hundreds of show cars, a car corral, awards for some of the cars and a cash giveaway of $8,000, according to organizers.
The Rod Run event started in Gatlinburg in the 1970s as an unofficial event hosted by a Maryville car club. Gatlinburg no longer wanted to host the event by 1982, and so it moved north to Pigeon Forge, according to organizers.
The event usually includes car enthusiasts selling cars on the side of the road, and advertising deals for models and years that may catch the eyes of collectors. However, Pigeon Forge leaders said an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Transportation requires that change.
TDOT owns the parkway and the right-of-way associated with it, including the first row of parking lots in front of nearby businesses. It leases the parking spots to Pigeon Forge with the stipulation that cars parked there can't have any advertising for more than 72 hours. The city then subleases those spots to businesses.
Pigeon Forge leaders said the department asked them to comply with the agreement this year.
The organizers of Rod Run said the change likely wouldn't affect the actual car show because it is at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge — not along the parkway. The changes also are likely to go into effect before the fall Rod Run, and people during this year's event can still sell their cars as they have in the past.