Monday, September 21, 2020

15th-Annual Fall Redneck Rumble

When you schedule a car show on a day as nice as it was Saturday, you are going to have a huge turnout. That was the case over the weekend for the 15th-Annual Fall Redneck Rumble, which roared into the Wilson County Fairgrounds with the always-popular car show and swap meet. If you could survive not getting run down by an ATV or golf cart, which seem to multiply every time they have this event, you will enjoy one of the more unique automotive events in the Nashville area. I was there for quite a while and took a lot of pictures, so if you read all the way to the end you may check out the album.

You can't lose with the Hendersonville Cruise

It has been awhile since I did a story about the Hendersonville Cruise, but it is still one of the best around. Last Friday, a nice group of classics rolled into the Glenbrook shopping center as the sun set. Perfect weather, a live D.J., and free ice cream sandwiches probably didn’t hurt the large turnout. This is the best time of the year to go to these events. It is the rare point in the season where it isn’t too hot or cold. Many car show have been cancelled this year, so you probably aren’t burned out on these types of events yet. Plus, the season will end before you know it, so it’s a good idea to get out while you can.

Monday, September 7, 2020

Won't you take me to ... Watertown!

Watertown doesn’t seem like a big destination location, but we seem to end up there a bunch.  Whether it’s attending a basketball tournament at the high school, or shopping at the flea market, we often find ourselves headed in the direction of Watertown.   Last Saturday, the big draw was the Watertown Car Show.  Hosted by the Good Wheel Cruisers Car Club, this one attracted an impressive array of old cars to the grassy field behind the Watertown Volunteer Fire Department.   Many car shows have obviously been cancelled this year, so it was nice to be able to get outside on a nice day and see what has been hiding in everyone’s garages.

Sunday, July 12, 2020

10th-Annual Southeastern Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals was the biggest ever

2020 has been hard on big car shows. The big pandemic has shut down some of the biggest and best events in the country, often ending decades of annual streaks. That wasn’t the case last Saturday in Lebanon, Tenn., however. The Southeastern Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals went ahead with their 10th- Annual event, this year moving to the sprawling Wilson County Fairgrounds. And bucking trends, this was by far the largest SETN yet. 1,023 GM trucks registered for this show, drawing entries from all over the United States and Canada. Bryan Ashley, his family, and friends have really built this into a “must-attend” event for truck enthusiasts. 

Monday, June 22, 2020

6th-Annual Spring Redneck Rumble brings the cars out of quarantine

It has been a tough summer so far for car shows. Of course, it has been a tough summer for pretty much everything thanks to the big pandemic. Many events won’t happen at all this year, but the 6th-Annual Spring Redneck Rumble did finally take place, albeit a few weeks late. The turnout was a little lighter than what I’ve noticed in the past. I was actually OK with that, because it meant that people could stay away from each other and not pass along their cooties, and also there were fewer damn golf carts and scooters out there trying to run people over. It turned out to be a nice day—almost perfect conditions to enjoy this eclectic car show and swap meet.

Friday, January 24, 2020

New digs for the 29th-Annual Nashville Auto Fest in 2020

The Nashville Auto Fest celebrated its 29th anniversary in the brand-new exhibit buildings at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. The all-in-one layout ensured that I was able to go through the whole thing and not wonder if I missed a building somewhere. As usual, a nice selection of show cars turned out, as well as a modest swap meet. We aren’t quite in the heart of car show season yet, but at least this show gives us a taste of what’s to come this summer. It’s nice to see some old favorites come out of moth balls, and fun to see some of the new cars on the local scene for 2020.

Friday, January 17, 2020

9th-Annual Tennessee Motorama brings cars out for the first time in 2020

The Tennessee Motorama is usually the first real car show of the year around Nashville, and it’s always nice to get off the couch and check out what’s happening in the real world. There was a threat of bad weather that didn’t really materialize, but that doesn’t matter because the show takes place inside the building at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. The show consisted of several Volkswagen Beetles, a few hot rods, some rat rods, a handful of motorcycles, and a few outliers. There were also swap meet vendors doing business around the perimeter of the show. All told, it wasn’t a bad way to spend a Saturday morning.