Pigeon Forge Rod Run

The only thing better than cool cars is cool cars, plus $5 cocktails and free spirit samples. This Thursday – Saturday, September 13-15, the cool cars will be everywhere you look, thanks to the Pigeon Forge Fall Rod Run. The cocktails and spirit samples are courtesy of Old Tennessee Distilling Company.

The three-day event, headquartered at The LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, will include thousands of street rods, classic cars, muscle cars and vintage beauties. There will be an $8,000 cash giveaway, plus Top 25, Ultimate 5 and King of the Hill awards, and a huge swap meet and car corral.

There’s only one pit stop that’s fitting for a Rod Run––the distillery founded to honor the whiskey runners of our region and named for the movie that tells their tale. Back in the Prohibition days, moonshiners would hire “runners” to get their products to the people. This created the need for cars that could outrun the law, without attracting unnecessary attention. Commonly seen cars, with large trunk spaces and increased suspension load for the the heavy transport, were the most popular choices. Modifications included additional carburetors, intake manifolds and additional chargers added to the engine. The result was a beast that could move. Many of which you’ll see around town this week.

Be sure to visit us at Old Tennessee Distilling Company, right off exit 407, on your way to and from the show to buy the rums, whiskeys and moonshines that have made their way from the street rods to our shelves.