32nd-Annual Wilson Bank Oktoberfest Car Show brings the best of the AACA to Lebanon

For 32 years, Wilson County Bank has hosted the big Oktoberfest event at their main branch in Lebanon, Tenn. That tradition continued last weekend, including the big AACA car show on Sunday. The car show season tends to wind down quite a bit after this weekend, but not before 451 entries converged on about four different parking lots to make up this last-ditch blowout. I’ve been to this show before, but this was the first time I entered a car. Not only did my car take home a class award, but I got to spend the day hanging out with my teenaged son, and we were able to take our time studying all the nice cars and trucks on display.

Park Place Cruise-In

When I was at the Hendersonville Cruise the other night, someone handed me a flyer for a Thursday afternoon cruise-in at the Park Place Retirement Home in Hendersonville. This event was mostly for the residents of Park Place, and they had a nice set-up with root beer floats and popcorn. Truth be told, it was too hot out for most of the residents to come out from under the awning to look at the cars, but a few of them did venture out of the shade. Late-model Corvettes dominated the show field thanks to a strong club participation, but there were a few other interesting things out there as well. This wasn’t a very action-packed car show, but it was a nice little thing to do for the people that live there.

Who do the Voodoo Hoodoo? I do!

The Voodoo Hoodoo is a fun, punk rod lifestyle-type event that draws in a wide variety of hot rods and customs. They had been holding it in Bowling Green, but this year brought it down to Tennessee Speed Sport in Goodlettsville. The show was originally meant for cars 1972 and older, but a last-minute rules addendum opened it up to just about anything. I like this location. Tennessee Speed Sport is a cool, old-school speed shop, and it fits this type of event. Also, the backdrop under the highway bridge gives the whole thing kind of a gritty city vibe that fits in with the cars and music they draw to this thing. You see some things you don’t normally see at this show. Here are a few of them.

Unusually beautiful weather at the Fall Redneck Rumble

Twice a year, the Wilson County Fairgrounds becomes the site of one of the most unusual car events in town. The Redneck Rumble combines elements of a car show, swap meet, motorcycle racing, camping, and a big, crazy party. Usually it seems to rain, making everything that much grittier. But this time, sunny skies and mild temperatures ruled the day. I’ve never seen so many people lined up to buy tickets for this. There were a ton of vendors, there were a ton of cars, and there were a ton of motorized vehicles, scooters, bikes, and ATVs recklessly bombing through every conceivable road and path. This is not your normal parking lot cruise-in. It’s a manic spectacle that crackles with life from every direction.

Nashville Corvette Club hosts the Touch of Gold Car Show

Last Saturday I thought it would be fun to go on down to Brentwood, Tenn., for the Touch of Gold Car Show, which was held at the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home. I figured if I went to the other side of town, I might see some cars that normally don’t hang out in my neighborhood. Also, since this show is hosted by the Nashville Corvette Club, it seemed like a good place to take my old ’93 Corvette. As you might expect, there were a lot of Corvettes there. That’s not all there was, though. Probably half the entries were other kinds of cars, so there was a little something for everyone. I actually attended the Tough of Gold Show a few years ago at a different location, and then as now I was impressed with the quality of entries that make it to this event.

Red Boiling Springs Fall Meet celebrates 63rd-Anniversary

Last weekend, the Middle Tennessee Region AACA recognized the 63rd-Anniversary of their Fall Meet, which was held on the picturesque grounds Thomas House Hotel in Red Boiling Springs, Tenn. According to my calculator, that means the first one was in 1956. That’s even older than this Chevy Viking 60 Howe-bodied fire truck, which was bought new by Red Boiling Springs Volunteer Fire Department in 1959. Tradition runs deep here. Many of the club members have been attending this event for decades. Even the hotel has been here since 1927. All of this history is great news for show-goers. Organizers have been doing this long enough now that there aren’t too many hitches in the operation. This year, 328 vehicles showed up. That’s a successful effort in anybody’s book.

38th-Annual Bowen Campbell Auto Expo returns to Moss-Wright Park in Goodlettsville

When a car show has been happening in the same place for 38 years, someone must be doing something right. In this case, that someone is the AACA Sumner County Vintage Vehicle Club, and that something is the Bowen Campbell Auto Expo, which happened last Saturday in its traditional location, Moss-Wright Park in Goodlettsville, Tenn. They always have a big turnout at this show, and it seems to draw some of the nicer cars from around the Nashville area. I hung out there all day with my ’63 Chevy truck, which would not be considered one of those nicer vehicles, but I was surrounded by good stuff. It was a hot day out there for sure, but that didn’t seem to keep people from enjoying this Labor Day weekend tradition.

6th National Corvette Caravan and 25th-Anniversary of the National Corvette Museum - Now that's a lot of Corvettes!

If you were anywhere near Bowling Green over the weekend, you know there was something big happening with Corvettes. You could not pass a gas station, restaurant, parking lot, or hotel without seeing dozens of them. That’s because the National Corvette Museum was hosting the National Corvette Caravan for the 6th time. Corvette enthusiasts from all over the United States, and some from other countries even, traveled in huge groups to meet-up at this event. Some reports estimated that as many as 10,000 Corvettes made the trip. When they got there, the museum was celebrating its 25th anniversary, so there were lots of cool displays and activities to keep everyone well entertained. I was able to drive my ’93 Corvette up there on Friday. I’m sure that wasn’t the biggest day of the weekend, but I walked a million miles, and I think I saw more Corvettes in one place than I’ve ever seen in my life.

Fun at the 45th-Annual Frog Follies

The Frog Follies. Just the name sounds fun. And for 45 years, pre-1949 street rods have been converging on Evansville, Ind., for one of the biggest street rod conventions in the country. With more than 2,000 cars in attendance, the name isn’t the only thing fun here. Most entries here follow the classic street rod recipe—take the shell of an old car and replace everything with modern components to make it drive like a new car. But a few traditional hot rods sneak in, along with a stock (“before”) example or two. You might even find something newer than 1948 in the car corral or amongst the large swap meet. The fact is, with a show this big, there was something for everybody within the gates of the Vanderburgh County 4-H Center.

8th-Annual 2019 KCCA Vettes on the Plains Show draws rare Corvettes to Bass Pro in Independence

When I was five years-old, my dad bought this ’61 Corvette. This unrestored, original car has been a part of our family for more than 40-years now, but lately, it was feeling neglected. Dad hadn’t been able to drive it for more than a year, so I thought it would be fun to drive up to Kansas City from Nashville to get it ready for the 8th-Annual Vettes on the Plains show, which was held this year at the Bass Pro Shops in Independence. Not only did we have a great day hanging out together, but dad’s Corvette earned a trophy—the first one he’s ever gotten for it! This wasn’t a huge show; maybe 90 cars total. The lower car-count probably had a lot to do with a last-minute change in venue. But it was still enough to raise some healthy donations for St. Jude and Camp Quality. And if you like looking at nice Corvettes, this was definitely the place to be.

9th-Annual Southeastern Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals was the biggest ever

Old Chevy trucks have always been popular, but never quite like they are now. Take the 9th-Annual Southeastern Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals, which was held Saturday at the Moss-Wright Park in Goodlettsville, Tenn. More than 700 trucks turned out for this event, smashing last-year’s record by some 200 entries. Bryan Ashley, his family, and a small group of volunteers have created a destination event for GM truck owners from all over the country. The style du jour is a restomod with an LS engine, big wheels and brakes, and modern digital gauges. People want their old sheet metal to have modern functionality. Of course, there was lots of that in this show. But there were plenty of nice original trucks as well. When you get 707 trucks together, every generation, every model, and every build style or condition is going to be covered one way or another.

Buncha' crazies at the Green Hill Church Red, Hot, & Blue Community Celebration and Car Show

It was so hot on Sunday that nobody in their right mind would spend the afternoon outside. And yet, 105 cars and trucks showed up for the Green Hill Church Red, Hot, & Blue Community Celebration and Car Show, and every one of them was brought there by deranged people. In their defense, they did have a nice, shady place with a giant tree and a picnic shelter, and there was a band and grilled hamburgers and stuff to help keep their minds off the weather. Mt. Juliet dignitaries like the fire and police chiefs gave out some plaques, and there were some better-than-average door prizes provided by the show sponsors. Overall, they did a really nice job putting this event together. But the heat—blech!

The heat was on at the Operation Stand Down Car Show at Cornerstone Church

If you wanted to see a bunch of cars, Cornerstone Church was the place to be last Saturday. This one was a fundraiser for Operation Stand Down, which is an organization that helps homeless veterans get back on their feet. I’d say the majority of the entries here were late model Mustangs and Camaros, thanks to some pretty strong club participation. But there were plenty of other nice things to look at if Pony Cars aren’t your thing. It was very hot over the weekend, but that didn’t stop people from getting their cars out. The drive-through judging looked like it was running a little slow based on the long, stagnant line, but I guess that’s why they call these “car shows” and not “car races.”

Boogie down at the Hot Rod Boogie Car Show

The Nashville Palace was the place to be for the 5th-Annual Hot Rod Boogie Car Show, which was part of the big Nashville Boogie Weekender event. While musical acts like the B-52’s rocked inside, the cars kept people outside. Sure, it was over 90-degrees this weekend, but these cars stayed cool in spite of the temperature. They also had some vendors out there selling vintage clothing, stickers, and whatnot. You see a lot of promotional material for this show throughout the year, so it’s no surprise that they draw a nice selection of cars and trucks.

C4 Corvette Gathering and Revin' Up for Kids Car Show collide at the National Corvette Museum

There was so much going on last weekend at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., that you are about to read a triple story. First of all, I brought my ’93 Corvette up there to be a part of the annual C4 Corvette Gathering, which drew fourth-generation Corvettes in from all over the country. While I was there, I entered the Revin’ Up for Kids Car Show, a multi-make show that raised money for foster kids. And finally, I made a tour of the National Corvette Museum itself, where I was able to see some of the most significant Corvettes ever, including a display of Corvettes that belonged to U.S. astronauts. It was almost automotive overload. I was just barely able to handle it all, and I will surely never be the same.

24th-Annual AACA Spring Meet features factory stock in Mt. Juliet

You might think that having a car show on the same weekend that Goodguys is in town, on a cloudy, misty day, might not be a recipe for success. And while the car count may have been a little light for the 24th-Annual AACA Spring Meet at the Wilson County Bank in Mt. Juliet, I would still consider it a win. As usual, there were some very nice cars out there. I’ve always liked this event because it draws in a lot of interesting, unmodified cars. I like hot rods, but I also like to see things the way they came from the factory. Many of the car owners at this show do a great job of preserving that history. 

A smaller run, but still fun at the 14th-Annual 2019 Goodguys Nashville Nationals

Goodguys events are unlike any other car shows that I go to. They’re more like going to a NASCAR race than a cruise. Everything is bigger and more professional. You get to see the same cars that you read about in magazines. All the big sponsors and displays are there. That was all evident last weekend at the 14th-Annual Nashville Nationals, which was held for three days at the Tennessee Titans Stadium. The only problem was the weather. It rained most of the weekend. Sunday was supposed to be the clearest day, which is when I went. But the rain had a profound impact on car count. It was easily the smallest Goodguys show I’ve ever been to. Still, the cars that did show up were worth the trip downtown.

Rain didn't ruin the Redneck Rumble

Twice a year, the Redneck Rumble rides into the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon. This year, the two-day event had to deal with not only rain, but several other big car shows in town. I entered my truck on Saturday, and even though attendance was obviously lighter than normal, there were still quite a few things to look at. I’ve been at this show in the rain before, and history has proven that rat rod and patina guys don’t mind a little wet weather. There’s also a swap meet at this show that typically offers up some interesting automotive treasures. This isn’t your usual ’69 Camaro resto-mod-style show. It’s different, which is part of what makes it interesting.

The cars are the best at the Gallatin Square Fest

The Gallatin Square Fest Car Show is always a fun time, so we threw the folding chairs into the back of my ’93 Corvette and staked-out a parking spot. Unlike most car shows where you’re basically on an island and have nothing else to see, do, or eat, this one is part of a festival that includes vendors and food trucks. That means there’s something for everybody at this show. They give out a lot of trophies (they gave a first-place class award to me for the Corvette), which seems to draw in a lot of very nice cars. I love car shows that provide both quality and quantity, so this was a good one to be a part of.

Hendersonville Cruise-In kicks off 2019 at its new location

As a Hendersonville resident and a car cruise guy, I’m always happy when the Hendersonville Cruise-In kicks off for the season. This year, the location moved to the old World Market parking lot, which is basically the Target store off New Shackle Island Road. They hold this event every Friday night during the summer, and they always have lots of really nice cars to look at. I’m always amazed that they can hold this event this often and still draw in so many different and interesting cars each time. Naturally, we took the old truck there for opening night, and came home with a bunch of pictures and stories about the neat stuff in attendance.

Return to Platte City

It’s been five long years since I’ve been to the Outta’ Control Hot Rods monthly cruise in Platte City, Mo., but I was in the Kansas City area last Saturday night, so I had to get back. This was the night before Easter, so the turnout was understandably light, but there were still some really great cars in attendance. Many of these were at this event when I checked it out five years ago, which says a lot about the loyalty of the people who support this show, and about how well it’s run. They always have a professional sound board set up to play music. They have door prizes and dash magnets. You’re right in the parking lot of the Pizza Shoppe so you never go hungry. Heck, they’ll even give you a coupon to eat there. If you can get to this cruise on the third Saturday of the month, by all means, make that happen.

Nice start to the Tennessee Speed Sport Cruise

Tennessee Speed Sport is a cool, old-school speed shop in Goodlettsville that has been serving Nashville’s hot rod and racing community since the 1960s. It makes sense that they would start up a monthly cruise night, and so they have. The inaugural event was last Saturday night, and they had a pretty strong turnout for the first time. I even like their old sign, and my truck looks right at home next to it. The only thing I might change would be that they open up the store during the cruise. If you can get 100 hot-rodders in the parking lot of a speed shop, who knows—you might just sell them something. At any rate, let’s check out some of the stuff that was sitting outside that locked building. 

Humongous turnout for Nashville Cars 'n Coffee

I don’t get out to the Nashville Cars ‘n Coffee event often enough. It happens early on Saturday mornings. It’s almost an hour away from my house. I don’t have an exotic car to show off. But when I do drag my sorry butt out of bed, this event never disappoints. The movie theatre in Franklin, Tenn., fills up with thousands of cars. And while not all of them are really what we normally cover on this blog, there are so many different things that everyone gets to see what they like. And so, BHo and I set an alarm last weekend, and cruised on up there in my decidedly commonplace ’93 Corvette to hang out with the other half for a while.

28th-Annual Nashville Auto Fest brings the good stuff out of hibernation

When you have an event that has been going for 28 years, you know they’re doing something right. That’s the case with the Nashville Auto Fest, which made its usual appearance at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds last weekend. Sure, there was the threat of bad weather on Sunday, but every building on the property was still full of classic cars and swap meet vendors. You often see some very high-quality machines at this one, and the 2019 edition was no exception. Strong club participation made it heavy on MOPARs and Volkswagens, but there was a little bit of everything at the Nashville Auto Fest.

8th-Annual Tennessee Motorama rolls through the Wilson County Fairgrounds

Just because winter is here doesn’t mean that the car hobby is dead. The Tennessee Motorama has been proving that for eight years now, drawing in a nice little display of cars and swap meet booths at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. This is an indoor event, so everyone stays warm and dry while they peruse the aisles looking for bargains and ideas to complete their own projects. This show hits a variety of automotive tangents. On one end of the spectrum you’ll find a crusty old truck dripping with patina, and on the other end you’ll see someone showing off their Tesla. There’s definitely something for everybody at this show.

Better late than never for the North Ridge Church Car Show

I know I’ve been neglecting my writing duties here lately. Things have been busy, and I’m sorry to say that when I have a little time to write something, I’ve just been too lazy to do it. Take the North Ridge Church Car Show. I was at this thing all the way back on October 27, so I’ve been sitting on the pictures for over two months. It was a pretty decent little car show, too, so there really isn’t any excuse for my not getting this done. I actually drove the truck to White House to participate in this one. It was a cool, overcast day, but actually perfect for an event like this. Here are some of the show cars that caught my eye.