Here’s What Not To Do When You Go to Rod Runs in Pigeon Forge

car with for sale with along parkway during rod run car show

Officials have been cracking down on advertising cars for sale on the Parkway during Rod Runs (photo by Alaina O'Neal/TheSmokies.com)

Local offers the top 6 don’ts of going to a Rod Run car show event in Tennessee

Twice a year in the Smokies, classic car collectors, dealers and enthusiasts flock to Pigeon Forge for the Rod Runs. It’s a multi-tiered event that all but takes over the Appalachian tourist town with wheeling, dealing, cruising and more. If you’ve been coming to the Rod Runs for more than 30 years like I have, you pick up a few of the do’s and don’ts that come with car culture events in general – and with the Rod Runs specifically. Some of the best times I’ve had at the Rod Runs have been watching people learn how to navigate Rod Run culture in Pigeon Forge when it’s teeming with people and classic cars. 

Also, the bi-annual Rod Runs events are bigger than just their LeConte Center home. Rod Run culture spills out onto the Parkway and into Pigeon Forge. It frequently interacts with people who are unaware of the cultural mores – aka social norms – that exist within the Rod Runs and car culture. In this article, I’ll offer a few of the biggest don’ts that will help you enjoy your time at future Rod Runs events without spoiling someone else’s good time. 

Cars on the Road during Rod Run
Visitors will see a lot of classic cars during Rod Run events (photo by Daniel Munson/TheSmokies.com)

What are Rod Runs?

The Rod Runs events are actually two very distinct events. There is the literal car show at the LeConte Center. This three-day, ticketed event features a massive swap meet, a car corral, prestigious awards, prizes and a lot more. It’s a convention of classic cars and it is awesome.

However, what we have here in East Tennessee is a bit of a branding situation. For instance, most people I know who say they’re going to the Rod Runs don’t ever set foot in the actual show. Rod Runs, my friends, cannot be contained by a mere LeConte Center. It spills out onto the Parkway, which is lined with classic cars and people in folding chairs.

Pedestrians walk the strip checking out the classic vehicles while stopping occasionally to talk shop and maybe make a deal. That said, buying and selling are frowned upon if not outright forbidden along the strip. Others, not content to park their cars, will cruise up and down the strip like something out of “American Graffiti” or another car culture classic.

Rod Run weekends are generally considered the busiest of the year. The fall event takes place in September and the spring event takes place in April. Many locals – and many tourists as well – avoid Rod Run weekends when possible, giving Pigeon Forge over to the car enthusiasts.

The top 6 don’ts at Rod Runs

In recent years, Rod Runs has gotten a little wilder at night due to several factors. It’s not dangerous, necessarily, but there’s more of a Mardi Gras vibe, and tempers can flare. If you want to take your family, it’s probably a good idea to get your sightseeing on the Parkway done before 10 pm or so. With all of this in mind, here are my top 6 Rod Run don’ts.

Red Classic Car and People Strolling By
Practice a “look but don’t touch” philosophy at Rod Runs (photo by Daniel Munson/TheSmokies.com)

1. Don’t touch the cars

Personally, I’m not a mechanical guy. I couldn’t install a carburetor – or frankly spell it – to save my life. But I appreciate the art involved in a well-made car. Also, my uncles are car guys, so I grew up around the culture. And when a car is built a certain way, and the paint job just so, something is pleasing about running your hand along the lines and interacting with the car in a tactile way. In fact, from the roar of the engine to the smell of the exhaust, a beautiful car should be a multi-sensory experience.

And, in fairness, we’re talking about metal here. A human hand or two is unlikely to do any damage. However, classic car owners put too much blood, sweat and tears into their beloved babies to have folks come up and chip the paint. Appreciate the cars visually, maybe listen to the roar of the engine. But after that? Keep a respectful distance.

Classic cars line the Parkway at a Rod Run
The Parkway is lined with cars during Rod Runs, so keep Teaster Lane clear for other traffic (photo by Daniel Munson/TheSmokies.com)

2. Keep your cruising off of Teaster Lane

Part of the fun of Rod Runs is cruising, although cruising can lose some of its luster at 3 mph in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The temptation might be once you’ve made your way up the Parkway to head over to Teaster, the alternate travel lane designed to beat Pigeon Forge traffic and make your way back. But the people of Pigeon Forge and the non-Rod Run visitors have already given up the strip for cruising. The least you can do is give them Teaster to avoid some of the traffic if they don’t want or need to participate.

a pair of on cloud tennis shoes
We highly recommend sturdy shoes for walking the strip (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

3. Don’t wear flip-flops or other flimsy shoes

Inside the LeConte Center or out, if you come to Rod Runs, you’d better be prepared to do some walking. I’m on the record as saying Pigeon Forge is a bad town for pedestrians despite its wide and ample sidewalks. There are too many cutaways where people are pulling in and out of parking lots and the crosswalks across the massive Parkway seem a little too much like the old video game Frogger to me. So, during Rod Runs, if you find a parking spot, you’re lucky. Get it and leave your car there. You’re not going to be able to go to spot after spot after spot in your car. You park and walk that is – mostly – the way of the Rod Run.

Purple Classic Car With For Sale Signs in Pigeon Forge TN
In years past, owners could attempt to sell their vehicles along the Parkway, but the ban on advertising is now enforced (photo by Daniel Munson/TheSmokies.com)

4. Don’t advertise your car along the Parkway

The State of Tennessee has been pushing Pigeon Forge to enforce a ban on advertising in the parking spots along the state-owned right-of-way. This means car owners are not supposed to grab primo spots, place for sale signs in the windows and hope a prospective buyer comes by. It also means you’re not supposed place prices or sales information on the windows themselves, like you might see in a used car lot.

Why is the state so worried about it? Something about competitive business practices for the rest of the year. Do I think it makes much sense? I do not. However, it is the rule, and the local police are being pressured to enforce it. Save yourself the time and the possible impound. Give the police more time to worry about the more serious things that may happen at Rod Runs that need police attention.

Pigeon Forge Aerial View During Car Show
Rod Runs are crowded and there is a lot of potential for anger. So remember to bring patience (photo by Daniel Munson/TheSmokies.com)

5. Don’t make a chucklehead of yourself

I think the car world comes with a hefty dose of testosterone in most cases. So when you add some changing attitudes toward alcoholic beverage consumption in the region, there is the potential for things to get squirrelly.

There have been in previous years reports of women verbally catcalled or harassed. Also, there have been fights. There have been the kind of issues that take the Rod Runs from a family affair to something else. Rod Runs means a lot of people and a lot of traffic. Tensions can get high.

If you find yourself in a road rage – or some other kind of rage situation – try your best to de-escalate and move on. In today’s world, things can go a lot worse than some mean words and a black eye very quickly.

a golf cart gets pulled over at a car show
Golf carts are not street legal in Sevier County and regulations are heavily enforced on car show weekends (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

6. Don’t expect business as usual

If you’ve come to Pigeon Forge during the Rod Runs but are not there for the cars, you’ve got to be the one to give way. There’s going to be crowds, traffic and cruising. Rod Run weekends are announced well in advance and if you show up to one unaware, that’s really on you. Relax. Go with the flow. Use Teaster Lane or some of the other back roads. In other words, just try your best to enjoy the Rod Run atmosphere.

For years, the Rod Runs has been the signature event of Pigeon Forge. But it comes with its pluses and minuses. As long as you know what to expect, don’t violate any of the cardinal sins, and keep a good attitude, you’ll still have a good time see classic works of art.

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