At Pigeon Forge, many gather for the yearly Spring Rod Run.

WATE: PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. This weekend, Pigeon Forge is the place to go if you love cars. The Parkway is lined with thousands of cars, some for display and some for sale. Throughout numerous decades, the Rod Run has kept expanding. Assistant City Manager Eric Brackins stated, “I think the sheer volume of people that we have come through Pigeon Forge during the car shows has grown significantly throughout the years.” “The Parkway’s right-of-way parking is taken up by the car show.”

Barry Mitchell, one of the attendees, remarked, “The prices on cars went really high.” The cops have become slightly stricter than they were in the past. Naturally, everything increased after that. It’s still a terrific time aside from that. Between 100,000 and 150,000 people are expected to attend this weekend’s Rod Run, according to Brackins. There won’t be as many hotel rooms in the neighborhood due to the anticipated economic boom brought on by the community’s population increase. “Not only do our restaurants and various businesses along the Parkway benefit from it, but also our various lodging options,” Brackins stated.

As the Rod Run continues to evolve as the years roll on, one major change is coming soon: no car sales on the side of the road. “The current lease that we have in place is changing. We have a new sublease agreement for the businesses that has been approved by TDOT,” Brackins said. “The new sublease will take out a clause for sale of vehicles in the subleased area.” There is, however, one thing that keeps people coming back. “The hot rods, the cars and the people. I love the people. There’s a lot of nice folks up here,” Mitchell said. “I’ve met people from all over the country and made a of good friends here since ’06 that I still talk to even when I go home.”

When asked how the show has evolved over the years, several folks along the Parkway expressed the same opinion, saying, “It’s not like it used to be.” “Wheeling and dealing of parts and cars has become nearly impossible because of high prices,” remarked one person. “It appears most people are here to window shop and just look at the cool cars on display,” said an additional person.