11th-Annual Southeastern Chevy/GMC All-Truck Nationals brings 1,300 trucks to Lebanon, TN in 2021

2021 marked the 11th year for the Southeastern Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals, and Brian Ashley and his team have made this one of the biggest truck events in the country. Held July 9-10 at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Tenn., some 1,300 trucks found their way to the enormous show field. It really is an impressive turnout, as are the 27 specialty trophies that are given out at the end of the day. Bullock’s Bodywerk’s hand makes each award by artfully welding gears, timing chains, and other car parts together into one-of-a-kind keepsakes. Incredibly, the Hover Motor Company ’63 Chevy took home the hardware for “Best Survivor,” an award that I will be proud to display in my garage.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Big turnout for the 13th-Annual Fall Redneck Rumble

If you like your car shows a little more gritty, if you’re not really into shiny paint, and if you like dodging fast-moving bicycles, motor scooters, and rat-rodded golf carts, the Redneck Rumble is the place for you. The 13th-annual Fall edition was recently held at its usual location, the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Tenn. And as usual, the place was packed with all manner of crusty and creative rides. There’s a lot to this show, including a cruise, swap meet, and even a demolition derby. I brought my own non-glossy truck to the party, so I had premium parking to go straight to the picture taking.

Snow couldn't stop the 7th-Annual Tennessee Motorama

The State of Tennessee declared a “state of emergency” because of the weather at the same time the 2018 Tennessee Motorama was setting up at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. Those conditions do not lead to a super successful car show. But give Both Barrel Productions credit—they didn’t cancel it. For their efforts, they were rewarded with a reasonable number of vendors, and about 10 show cars. You might think the cars would be beaters because people would keep the high-end stuff out of the snow. But as it turned out, most of them were so nice that they came in trailers anyway. So there weren’t many cars, but the quality was outstanding.

Big turnout for the 12th-Annual Fall Redneck Rumble

If you like rat rods, the Redneck Rumble is the place for you. Held twice-a-year at the Wilson County Fairgrounds, this is the premier event for creative automotive rust manipulation. Yes, you may rub up against a car and get tetanus. Yes, you may get mowed down by an obnoxious kid screaming down the walkway on a mufflerless ’58 Cushman scooter. No, you are not going to like every car in the show—and you’re not supposed to. There’s no question that most every car here is interesting, and some of them are just plain cool. Everyone is proud of their creations, and they love sharing them with like-minded people. If you’re among them, let’s take a look at some of the standouts from last weekend.

Tons of stunners at the 2017 AACA Wilson County Fair Car Show

When you go to the fair you expect to see a lot of things. Giant watermelons. Big, fuzzy chickens. Shaky carnival rides. Mullets. What you might not expect to see is one of the best car shows of the year. But that’s exactly what you got at the Wilson County Fair during the AACA Car Show that took place last Sunday. I rarely go to an event that has this kind of quality. It’s like the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction got dumped out in a field or something. There are so many top-notch restorations, so many desirable cars, and so many knowledgeable people that it’s an unusual situation indeed that you can get them all together in one place.

Redneck Rumble, Spring 2017

The Redneck Rumble is exactly the same as the name implies. Do not expect to see meticulously restored ’53 El Dorados or rare, numbers-matching muscle cars. I don’t even remember seeing a single Corvette. But if you like rat rods, rusty trucks, skulls, and saw blades, this is the place. This year’s spring edition of the two-day show was a little lighter on cars than normal because of rain all day Friday, and on-and-off Saturday. There was still a fair number of cars to look at, and a decent selection of swap meet vendors (I was actually one of them!). A little water never hurt this crowd, and the party was on.

6th-Annual Tennessee Motorama moves to Lebanon in 2017

Tennessee’s first snow of the season took place this week, which means it’s time for the 6th-Annual Tennessee Motorama. This indoor winter car show moved from its original home in Murfreesboro to the new the Wilson County Expo Center in Lebanon. And although the salty, snowy roads kept a few show cars away, there were still several vendors there selling a nice variety of automobilia. It might not have been the biggest turnout based on the circumstances, but it was still worth the short trip north of Nashville. I know I’ve been getting a little stir-crazy for a local car show.

2016 Fall Redneck Rumble mixes rust and water

I decided to try something different this year at the Fall Redneck Rumble in Lebanon, Tenn. Instead of just parking my truck out there, I loaded it up with junk to sell at the swap meet. It was fun … for a while. I moved a little stuff. I talked to all kinds of people about the truck, my merchandise, and anything else that came to mind. I really did enjoy it. But then, around lunchtime, the rain started pouring down in buckets, just as the weatherman had predicted. I closed up shop and set out to take pictures. Unfortunately, many of the show cars I saw when I came in had already left because of the weather. There were still enough out there to make a good story, though. Some of those rat rod guys aren’t going to let a little water bother them!

2016 Wilson County Fair AACA Car Show

It’s county fair season, and folks around Nashville know that the Wilson County Fair is one of the biggest around. Even better, the AACA holds a big car show at the Wilson County Fair each year, so that makes it a must-attend event as far as I’m concerned. Attendance was down this year because it rained quite a bit in the morning, but the muddy conditions moved the show from the grassy field to the pavement surrounding the buildings. This turned out to be a pretty popular move, and it put the car show front-and-center among fair attendees. These AACA shows always draw a high-quality selection of show vehicles, and this event was no different. Let’s take a look at a few of the standouts.

Wilson County Fairgrounds packs 'em in for the 2016 Spring Redneck Rumble

The Redneck Rumble has attracted rat rods, hot rods, and classics to the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Tenn., for years. The fall edition proved to be so popular that they added a spring version in 2015. The second-annual spring gathering was Friday and Saturday, and despite it being Mother’s Day weekend, it was still a strong showing. As the title indicates, some of the entries were decidedly “redneck,” (since when did saw blades become an accepted substitute for fender replacements?!), but there were still some special rides throughout the show grounds. I caravanned out with members of the Tennessee chapter of the C-10 Truck Club, so the old HMC beater was right at home at this event.

2015 AACA Car Show at the Wilson County Fair

The Wilson County Fair in Lebanon, Tenn., has something for everyone. You like looking at fuzzy chickens? They’ve got them. You like smelling pigs? Take a whiff at the fair. Chocolate-covered bacon? Yep. Want to be so violently spun around on a ride that you puke? Tell your friends to stay clear of projectile corn dogs. Personally, I wanted to go there for the same reason I want to go anywhere—for the cars. The Mid-Tenn Regional Car Club hosted a big, one day car show, and it was a good one. More than 200 cars greeted visitors right at the entrance of the fair. It almost made me forget to check out the world’s tiniest woman in the carnival area.

2015 Spring Redneck Rumble

Last fall, the Redneck Rumble Car Show at the Wilson County Fairgrounds had such a great turnout that promoter Both Barrel Productions decided to add a spring date for 2015.  The turnout might not have been quite as enormous as the fall event, but it was pretty substantial. The weather was nice, and they were dealing with lots of other events, including a traditional hot rod show at the Opryland Hotel. I kind of liked having fewer cars there better, because it was easier to get around and take pictures, and there was less of a chance that you would be run down by a bicycle, golf cart, go-kart, tractor, or motor scooter. The possibility was still there, but at least you had room to dive out of the way.